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Experts List Reasons For Investment In Sub-Saharan Africa

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15 years ago

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With sub:Saharan African (SSA) markets like Nigeria’s beginning to  command increasing attention from global portfolio managers, analysts at RenCap, Friday, put out  10  strong reasons why the region has become a great investment       destination.

Kato Mukuru,  head of research, who prepared the report said while equities have fallen by as much as  11 percent in Brazil, 21 per cent in China and one per cent in  India this  year, SSA markets have witnessed strong growth with Nigeria and Kenya leading the  way with YTD  rises of up to 30 percent.

The report also highlighted the low sovereign debt levels as well as  attractive valuations of banks in the region on the back of limited liquidity.

The third factor listed in the report is the relatively high real  GDP growth performance in the SSA region over the last five years as well as in years to come. Between’ 2004 and 2008, real GDP growth in SSA has averaged 6.5 per cent as IMF figures. Looking ahead, the region is expected to grow Its real GDP by 4.7 and 5.8 per cent in 2010 and 2011 receptively-

On wealth of natural resources, Africa is home to 12 per cent of  proven oil reserves and six per cent of proven gas  reserves and the region remains the least explored in the world as evidenced by recent discoveries in  Uganda and Ghana.

China has since identified the region’s potentials and its increasing investment and trade ties with SSA may top $100 billion in 2010. These inflows will further contribute to improvements in the region, making it even more attractive in the years  to come.

Other factors are the acute infrastructure deficiency as well as the rising inter-regional trade.  Africa, said the report, offers huge investment opportunities whether in power, road and telecoms and the growing trade within the region should help reposition the region.

There has also been progress recorded in the fight against corruption and there is also  the increasing acceptance that political conflicts are no longer the norm in the region as democracy takes root across Africa. Today, 72 per cent of sub-Saharan Africans live in free or partially free democracies.

Finally, the report speaks of the incredible demographics of the SSA           region which will be home to 29 percent (348 million) of the world’s youth population by 2050 compared to only nine percent in 1950.

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Kenyan Runners Dominate Berlin Marathons

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3 days ago

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September 22, 2025

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Kenya made it a clean sweep at the Berlin Marathon with Sabastian Sawe winning the men’s race and Rosemary Wanjiru triumphing in the women’s.

Sawe finished in two hours, two minutes and 16 seconds to make it three wins in his first three marathons.

The 30-year-old, who was victorious at this year’s London Marathon, set a sizzling pace as he left the field behind and ran much of the race surrounded only by his pacesetters.

Japan’s Akasaki Akira came second after a powerful latter half of the race, finishing almost four minutes behind Sawe, while Ethiopia’s Chimdessa Debele followed in third.

“I did my best and I am happy for this performance,” said Sawe.

“I am so happy for this year. I felt well but you cannot change the weather. Next year will be better.”

Sawe had Kelvin Kiptum’s 2023 world record of 2:00:35 in his sights when he reached halfway in 1:00:12, but faded towards the end.

In the women’s race, Wanjiru sped away from the lead pack after 25 kilometers before finishing in 2:21:05.

Ethiopia’s Dera Dida followed three seconds behind Wanjiru, with Azmera Gebru, also of Ethiopia, coming third in 2:21:29.

Wanjiru’s time was 12 minutes slower than compatriot Ruth Chepng’etich’s world record of 2:09:56, which she set in Chicago in 2024.

 

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NIS Ends Decentralised Passport Production After 62 Years

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3 days ago

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September 22, 2025

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The Nigeria Immigration Service (NIS) has officially ended passport production at multiple centres, transitioning to a single, centralised system for the first time in 62 years.
Minister of Interior, Dr Olubunmi Tunji-Ojo, made the disclosure during an inspection of the Nigeria’s new Centralised Passport Personalisation Centre at the NIS Headquarters in Abuja, last Thursday.
He stated that since the establishment of NIS in 1963, Nigeria had never operated a central passport production centre, until now, marking a major reform milestone.
“The project is 100 per cent ready. Nigeria can now be more productive and efficient in delivering passport services,” Tunji-Ojo said.
He explained that old machines could only produce 250 to 300 passports daily, but the new system had a capacity of 4,500 to 5,000 passports every day.
“With this, NIS can now meet daily demands within just four to five hours of operation,” he added, describing it as a game-changer for passport processing in Nigeria.
“We promised two-week delivery, and we’re now pushing for one week.
“Automation and optimisation are crucial for keeping this promise to Nigerians,” the minister said.
He noted that centralisation, in line with global standards, would improve uniformity and enhance the overall integrity of Nigerian travel documents worldwide.
Tunji-Ojo described the development as a step toward bringing services closer to Nigerians while driving a culture of efficiency and total passport system reform.
According to him, the centralised production system aligns with President Bola Tinubu’s reform agenda, boosting NIS capacity and changing the narrative for improved service delivery.
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FG To Roll Out Digital Public Infrastructure, Data Exchange, Next Year 

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3 days ago

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September 22, 2025

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The National Information Technology Development Agency (NITDA) has announced plans to roll out Digital Public Infrastructure (DPI) and the Nigerian Data Exchange (NGDX) platforms across key sectors of the economy, starting in early 2026.
Director of E-Government and Digital Economy at NITDA, Dr. Salisu Kaka, made the disclosure in Abuja during a stakeholder review session of the DPI and NGDX drafts at the Digital Public Infrastructure Live Event.
The forum, themed “Advancing Nigeria’s Digital Public Infrastructure through Standards, Data Exchange and e-Government Transformation,” brought together regulators, state governments, and private sector stakeholders to harmonise inputs for building inclusive, secure, and interoperable systems for governance and service delivery.
According to Kaka, Nigeria already has several foundational elements in place, including national identity systems and digital payment platforms.
What remains is the establishment of the data exchange framework, which he said would be finalised by the end of 2025.
“Before the end of this year and by next year we will be fully ready with the foundational element, and we start dropping the use cases across sectors,” Kaka explained.
He stressed that the federal government recognises the autonomy of states urging them to align with national standards.
“If the states can model and reflect what happens at the national level, then we can have a 360-degree view of the whole data exchange across the country and drive all-of-government processes,” he added.
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