Vol 64 No 12 | NIGERIA Ending fuel subsidies, Tinubu takes on traders and the unions 7th June 2023 The new government has to forestall the threat of hyper-inflation and the economy slipping back into recession Within hours of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu proclaiming 'the end of fuel subsidies' at his inauguration on 29 May, the pump price for gasoline had almost tripled at...
Vol 64 No 12 | CÔTE D'IVOIRE Football before politics 2nd June 2023 Local elections have been brought forward to avoid clashing with the Africa Cup of Nations but offering just as many fireworks as old rivals vie for key posts The stakes are high. The coming local elections must be flawless, unlike the violence-tainted 2020 presidentials, not only for the sake of the country's reputation but to reassure...
Vol 64 No 12 | NIGERIA Shell holds up clean-up payments in graft row 26th May 2023 Sacked director of Ogoniland project spells out corruption concerns in rebuke to environment ministry Shell is withholding payments towards the Ogoniland clean-up until it sees a full accounting for the disputed contracts issued to date, Africa Confidential has learned from sources in... READ FOR FREE
Vol 64 No 11 | GHANA The ruling party could benefit from its IMF U-turn 25th May 2023 After losing a by-election, the opposition NDC is crafting its campaign on government failure ahead of next year's elections The IMF approval of a US$3 billion bailout to support Ghana's ailing economy is being held up as a victory by the governing New Patriotic Party (NPP), but...
Vol 64 No 11 | GHANA The IMF offers some breathing space 25th May 2023 Accra has secured concessions from the multilateral banks as well as China in exchange for promises on debt Although West Africa's second largest economy had been expected to receive an International Monetary Fund deal in the coming months, the IMF's 17 May announcement – that its... READ FOR FREE
Vol 64 No 11 | GHANA Deeper reforms needed after the bailout 25th May 2023 Slowing inflation and a strengthening cedi after the IMF credit will help the ruling party’s election campaign Ghana's US$3 billion bailout deal with the International Monetary Fund will not be painless, and comes with demands for a diet of structural reforms and spending cuts. Key...
Vol 64 No 11 | NIGERIA Tinubu struggles to control the Assembly 25th May 2023 The incoming President's feted dealmaking skills will be tested in the courts and in the legislature Ahead of the scheduled 29 May inauguration of President-elect Bola Tinubu, there are two key procedural hurdles: he has to resolve the fight over the leadership of both...
Vol 64 No 11 | SENEGAL Sonko's trial is Sall's challenge 25th May 2023 The outcome of the firebrand oppositionist's trial could transform the face of politics, and may open the way to other contenders More than two years after he was first charged with raping the masseuse Adji Sarr and then making death threats, Ousmane Sonko, the charismatic leader of the Pastef...
Vol 64 No 11 | NIGERIA Bayelsa commission reports 25th May 2023 The Bayelsa State Oil and Environmental Commission (BSOEC) launched its much-anticipated report on 60 years' worth of oil pollution in the state, where local companies now produce about...
Vol 64 No 10 | NIGERIAEUROPEAN UNION Will you be my strategic partner? 11th May 2023 The European Union's diplomatic service, the European External Action Service, has earmarked four countries, one from each continent, as 'key strategic partners' as it seeks to boost its...