Burkina Faso 🇧🇫 has adopted a new decree at a Council of Ministers meeting in Ouagadougou, led by Captain Ibrahim Traoré The decree sets rules for large companies with an average turnover of at least 5 billion FCFA ($8.8m) over the past three fiscal years to build their headquarters in the country

Morocco 🇲🇦 has quickly become a major force in the global avocado market, ranking as Africa’s top exporter by 2025, with shipments reaching nearly 141,000 tonnes. According to the FAO, exports grew by about 90%, helping the country surpass Kenya and South Africa for the first time.

Zambia 🇿🇲 has the highest number of waterfalls in Africa, with more than 200 found across the country. Among them is the mighty Mosi-oa-Tunya (Victoria Falls), known as the world’s greatest sheet of falling water and one of the most breathtaking natural wonders on Earth.

Popular American streamer IShowSpeed has named Kenya 🇰🇪 his favorite stop on his recent African tour. He praised the huge crowds in Nairobi, where more than 30,000 fans came to see him. The strong energy and warm welcome made Kenya the highlight of his trip.

Libya 🇱🇾 has granted new oil exploration and production licenses to foreign companies for the first time in 17 years. Key winners include Chevron (USA), Eni with QatarEnergy (Italy and Qatar), Repsol and partners (Spain), and Aiteo (Nigeria).

Burkina Faso 🇧🇫 has achieved remarkable progress in agriculture. From almost no production, it now leads West Africa in strawberry farming, producing about 2,000 tons each year.

Ghana 🇬🇭, Africa’s top gold producer, has unveiled its first locally refined gold bars at the Gold Coast Refinery. This historic milestone marks the start of refining artisanal gold in the country, with official stamps from GoldBod, the Bank of Ghana, and the Ghana Standards Authority.

South Sudan 🇸🇸 has officially received 10 hectares of land from Kenya 🇰🇪 to build a dry port in Naivasha. This important move will ease congestion at the Port of Mombasa, cut delays and import costs, and boost regional trade.

Africa's Best Places to Visit in 2026 by Conde Nest Traveler 1. Algeria 🇩🇿 2. Angola 🇦🇴 3. Arusha, Tanzania 🇹🇿 4. Bazaruto and Vilanculos, Mozambique 🇲🇿 5. Fès, Morocco 🇲🇦 6. Gabon 🇬🇦 7. Nairobi, Kenya 🇰🇪 8. Northern Namibia 🇳🇦 9. Okavango Delta, Botswana 🇧🇼 10. Victoria Falls, Zimbabwe 🇿🇼

Countries and Their Citizens: Botswana — Motswana Somalia — Somali Niger — Nigerien Lesotho — Mosotho Seychelles — Seychellois Burkina Faso — Burkinabe Eswatini— Emaswati Equatorial Guinea — Equatoguinean Madagascar — Malagasy Sao Tome and Principe — Sao Tomean Benin — Beninoise

Africa’s leading carrier, Ethiopian Airlines, will move to a new state-of-the-art headquarters in August 2026. The $80 million complex is located next to its current site near Bole International Airport in Ethiopia 🇪🇹 It includes six connected buildings and more than 33,500 square meters of space.

US President Donald Trump says he will deploy 200 troops to Nigeria 🇳🇬 in the coming weeks to train the country’s military to combat Islamist militants, which reports say have killed at least 7,000 Christians in 2025.

Aliko Dangote 🇳🇬, Africa’s richest businessman with an estimated net worth of $30 billion, made his first official visit to Burundi 🇧🇮. He met President Évariste Ndayishimiye and signed a long-term cooperation deal with the Dangote Group.

The CAF Africa Cup of Nations Morocco 🇲🇦 2025 has set historic records for global football. Official data shows the event reached over 3.45 billion viewers across TV and digital apps. The tournament also gained 6.1 billion digital impressions.

Zimbabwe 🇿🇼 Cabinet has approved draft legislation proposing major constitutional changes that would extend President Emmerson Mnangagwa’s term until 2030. The proposal seeks to increase presidential and parliamentary terms from five to seven years.

The Trump administration has sent the largest-ever U.S. government delegation to the Investing in African Mining Indaba in Cape Town, South Africa 🇿🇦 this week. Senior officials from trade, energy, development, and other agencies are attending.

African Countries With the Highest Business Bribery Risks 1. 🇬🇶 Equatorial Guinea 2. 🇸🇸 South Sudan 3. 🇨🇩 DR Congo 4. 🇹🇩 Chad 5. 🇨🇬 Congo 6. 🇸🇴 Somalia 7. 🇨🇫 Central African Republic 8. 🇱🇾 Libya 9. 🇪🇷 Eritrea 10. 🇲🇷 Mauritania Source: TRACE Bribery Risk Matrix

The International Festival of Saharan Cultures is happening in Amdjarass, Chad 🇹🇩. It brings together ethnic groups from Chad 🇹🇩, Niger 🇳🇪, Mali 🇲🇱, Mauritania 🇲🇷, Burkina Faso 🇧🇫, and Morocco 🇲🇦.

Nigeria 🇳🇬 is the largest consumer of dog meat in Africa and the third largest in the world, after South Korea and Vietnam, according to the Dog Friendly Country Index. The trade remains active and is strongly linked to cultural beliefs and local demand.

Egypt 🇪🇬 leads Africa in farmed fish production, with about 2 million tons each year. Around 80% comes from aquaculture, making Egypt the continent’s top producer, according to FAO and USDA data.

Ethiopia 🇪🇹 is reportedly hosting a secret military training camp near the Sudan 🇸🇩 border. A Reuters investigation says the camp has trained thousands of fighters for Sudan’s Rapid Support Forces (RSF).

Africa has officially launched its own credit rating agency to lower borrowing costs and challenge bias from global rating firms. The agency aims to reduce reliance on the “Big Three”, Fitch, Moody’s and S&P by offering fairer and more accurate assessments of African risk.

Malawi 🇲🇼 President Prof. Arthur Peter Mutharika has urged citizens of all faiths to come together in national prayers as the country faces dry spells that threaten farming and food security. He asks people to pray for good rains and a strong harvest.

African countries with the largest active military manpower. 1. Ethiopia — 503,000 active troops (Global rank : 9th) 2. Egypt — 438,500 (13th) 3. Morocco — ~400,000 (16th) 4. Eritrea — ~350,000 (20th) 5. Sudan — ~300,000 (22nd) 6. Nigeria — 230,000 (28th) 7. South Sudan — ~185,000 (32nd)

Countries with the World's Lowest Life Expectancy 1. Nigeria – 54.6 years 2. Chad – 55.2 3. South Sudan – 57.7 4. Central African Republic – 57.7 5. Lesotho – 57.8 6. Somalia – 59 7. Mali – 60.7 8. Guinea – 60.9 9. Benin – 61 10. Burkina Faso – 61.3 Source: UN World Population Prospects

Zimbabwe 🇿🇼 is the largest buyer of maize from South Africa 🇿🇦, taking about 35% of the total exports. From May 2025 to the end of January 2026, South Africa exported around 1.5 million tonnes of maize.

Quiet talks were held in Madrid, Spain, at the United States Embassy. Morocco 🇲🇦, Algeria 🇩🇿, the Polisario Front, and Mauritania 🇲🇷 met under U.S. mediation, with UN involvement. Morocco presented an updated 40-page autonomy plan, building on its 2007 proposal and UN Resolution 2797 (2025).

Egypt 🇪🇬 has made strong progress on the Cairo–Cape Town Highway (Trans-African Highway 4). This major road links Cairo to Cape Town over about 10,228 km, crossing several countries to boost trade and connectivity in Africa.

South Africa 🇿🇦 has announced it will withdraw more than 700 soldiers from the United Nations peacekeeping mission in the Democratic Republic of Congo 🇨🇩 (MONUSCO). This decision ends 27 years of continuous deployment. President Cyril Ramaphosa informed the UN Secretary-General.

Starting 1 January 2026 flights in West Africa will become cheaper as ECOWAS removes air transport taxes and cuts passenger and security charges by 25%. This change will make travel within the region easier and more affordable.

Aliko Dangote, Africa’s richest man, through the Aliko Dangote Foundation, has launched a ₦1 trillion ($640 million) scholarship plan in Lagos, Nigeria 🇳🇬. It is described as the largest private-sector education support effort in the country’s history.

Benin has asked Togo to extradite Lt. Col. Pascal Tigri, the leader of the December 7 failed coup After escaping a manhunt in Cotonou, he is said to be hiding in Lomé, near President Faure Gnassingbé's home Togo has not confirmed his presence, raising concerns and tensions in West Africa.

Guinea-Bissau 🇬🇼 opposition is asking ECOWAS to step in and protect democracy, like it did in Benin 🇧🇯, where forces helped stop a failed coup. They want the election results, delayed by a coup, to be announced. ECOWAS has declared a state of emergency in West Africa after several coups.

Ghana 🇬🇭 has deported three Israeli nationals after Israel sent back three Ghanaians despite them having valid visas. Ghana’s Foreign Minister Samuel Okudzeto Ablakwa said the country will deport one Israeli for every Ghanaian returned, calling it a tit-for-tat response.

Burkina Faso 🇧🇫 President Captain Ibrahim Traoré has handed over 204 earthmoving machines to the Faso Mêbo Presidential Initiative and the Military Engineering Corps. The machines include bulldozers, rollers, loaders, pavers, excavators, trucks, sweepers, drills, and air compressors.

Uganda 🇺🇬 state-owned Kiira Motors Corporation (KMC) has completed a major milestone as its Kayoola Electric Coach 2025 arrived in Cape Town, South Africa 🇿🇦 after a 13,000+ km trip through six African countries. The journey began in Kampala, Uganda 🇺🇬 and lasted 15 days.

South Africa’s 🇿🇦 3rd largest city, Durban will get a new R1 billion (about $59 million) amusement park by 2027, replacing the old Funworld on the Golden Mile. The plan includes roller coasters, VR zones, family rides, and food courts to boost tourism and refresh the beachfront.

The Moroccan Caftan 🇲🇦 was added to UNESCO’s Intangible Cultural Heritage List in 2025. This honor recognizes its skilled craftsmanship, traditional methods, and deep cultural meaning passed down through generations.

France assisted Benin 🇧🇯 in stopping Sunday’s coup by providing intelligence and logistical help, the French presidency said. France also shared information with Nigeria 🇳🇬, which sent fighter jets and troops to support Benin after its request.

US President Trump stated that he helped push a peace deal between the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) 🇨🇩 and Rwanda 🇷🇼. He claimed DRC officials asked for U.S. involvement in their minerals, saying “Please please we would love you to come and take our minerals,” and he replied “which I will do.”

South African businesses 🇿🇦 can now pay Chinese suppliers directly in yuan instead of using the US dollar. This follows Standard Bank becoming the first African bank to connect to China's Cross-Border Interbank Payment System (CIPS), cutting costs, delays, and dollar-related risks for importers.

Burundi 🇧🇮 said Rwanda 🇷🇼 dropped bombs on its land near the DRC border, injuring two people, including a child. Burundi called it a "provocation it cannot accept" but said it is not part of the conflicts in eastern DRC and supports regional peace. Rwanda has not responded.

Eleven Nigerian 🇳🇬 soldiers are being held in Burkina Faso 🇧🇫 after their C-130 plane made an emergency landing in Bobo-Dioulasso. AES members —Mali, Niger and Burkina Faso say the jet entered their airspace without permission.

TikTok has temporarily limited its LIVE feature in Nigeria 🇳🇬 from 11 p.m. to 5 a.m. This comes after a rise in adult content and explicit acts during late-night streams. TikTok says this is part of its safety checks to protect users and make sure community rules are followed.

Under Captain Ibrahim Traoré’s leadership, Burkina Faso 🇧🇫 has taken full control of the local operations of the French-owned fuel company TotalEnergies. The fuel stations and related assets have been renamed “Barka Energies”.

The Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) has ordered the immediate deployment of standby forces from Nigeria 🇳🇬, Ghana 🇬🇭, Sierra Leone 🇸🇱 and Côte d'Ivoire 🇨🇮 to support Benin’s 🇧🇯 government and army in protecting constitutional order and national security.

A Nigerian Air Force fighter jet was reportedly deployed to Benin skies while a coup was unfolding. Nigeria has called back its jets after determining that the security situation had returned to stability, following a brief and unsuccessful coup attempt that saw 13 soldiers arrested.

Conflicting reports have emerged from Benin 🇧🇯 regarding an alleged coup attempt. Mutinous soldiers announced the ousting of President Patrice Talon, declaring the closure of borders and the suspension of the constitution.

Aliko Dangote 🇳🇬, Africa's richest man, says his company plans to become the world's largest fertilizer producer in three years. The Dangote Group will increase urea production from 3 million to 12 million tonnes a year.

Zambia 🇿🇲 has approved a 1.1-billion-dollar oil refinery that could change its energy sector and support fuel supply in the region. The project is a partnership with a Chinese company, and construction is expected to start soon. The first phase of operations is planned for 2026.