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Nigeria Missing in Africa’s Top 5 Performing Economies of 2013

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That Africa is set to become the world’s economic engine in the next 10 years or during the 21st century is no doubt a well-known fact.

Unfortunately, Nigeria is not one of the top five. Countries like Malawi, Mozambique, Angola, Ethiopia and Zambia outperform her,.

But that almost all the 54 countries on the continent compete fiercely to be in the top position of the 5 fastest-growing economies in Africa is little known, according to Venture Africa.

Venture Africa said, however, it becomes evident when the names of the top performing economies on the continent changes each year.

According to auditing firm Ernst & Young’s 2013 Competitive Survey, the projected GDP growth from 2012-2017 Malawi tops the list with an expected GDP growth during this period of 7 percent and followed closely by Mozambique at 6.8 percent economic growth.

In the third place is Angola with the projected GDP growth of 6.5 percent in the next six years. Ethiopia’s GDP growth is expected to be 6.3 percent while Zambia is expected to grow its GDP by 6.2 percent.

Despite the negative impact of global economic crises, the size of the African economy has more than tripled since 2000, according to Ernst & Young. The continent also hold bright prospects, with many countries in Africa set to continue recording high economic growth levels in the future.

The cynics will more often than not opine that most of this economic growth is being driven by natural resources. But that is certainly not the case.

According to the International Business Times website, the number of Africans living in the cities has surged dramatically and it could soon surpass that of India, which is considered to be the leader at this stage.

It is believed that in the next 16 years, half of all Africans will be living in the cities. It is also understood that Africa’s middle class is set to be bigger than that of India.

The market influences of the west, which Africa is increasingly approving, are pushing down inflation and reducing sovereign debt.

Intra-African trade is changing on the continent with Africa boasting five growing trade blocs. In total, Africa has a $2 trillion economy, according to the International Business Times.

Underlisted are the top performing economies in Africa.

Malawi
According to the African Economic Outlook, Malawi’s economic growth in 2013 and next year is forecast to bounce back to 5.5 percent and 6.1 percent respectively.
The state has renewed its commitment to credible macroeconomic policies. Good governance has prompted the International Monetary Fund (IMF) to approve a new Enhanced Credit Facility (ECF) programme for the country. This has led to the reopening of donor financial back-up to Malawi.

Mozambique
Mozambique’s steady ramping up of coal production, the implementation of large infrastructure projects and credit expansion are expected to continue to drive growth to 8.5 percent in 2013 and 8 percent in 2014, according to the African Economic Outlook.

The World Bank says the country’s emerging extractive industry could also provide the means for Mozambique to reach the status of a middle-income country by 2025.

Angola
Angola’s economy bounced back robustly after recording sluggish growth due to oil and financial crises.
The Report forecast growth in Angola to rise to 8.2 percent in 2013 and 7.8 percent in 2014 on the back of oil and gas sector expansion. There is also a public expenditure programme made to inspire economic diversification.

Ethiopia
Ethiopia’s economy saw a ninth successive year of vigorous growth last year estimated at 6.9 percent, the African Economic Outlook states.
The growth was driven by a surging role for services and industry. This motion is set to stay until next year.

Zambia
Growth in real GDP moved faster to 7.3 percent last year from 6.8 percent posted in 2011. In the next 24 months, economic growth in Zambia is forecast to stay strong.
In 2012, the economy continued to be strong driven by expansion in agriculture, construction, manufacturing, transport and finance. According to the African Economic Outlook, prospects for the future of the country remain bright.


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PalmPay, Jumia Reward Users in Festive Campaign

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This holiday season just got a whole lot more exciting! PalmPay, one of Africa’s leading fintech platforms, operates Nigeria’s most used mobile wallet and has teamed up with Jumia, the continent’s e-commerce giant, to launch a festive campaign that’s all about convenience, rewards, and enhancing your shopping experience.

Running from December 11th to 28th, 2024, this holiday campaign is set to reward shoppers who use the new “Pay with PalmPay” feature on Jumia with cash prizes. Every purchase made using the direct payment method automatically enters participants into a draw, giving them a chance to win exciting cash rewards while enjoying the seamless shopping and payment process.

A Strategic Partnership To Enhance Digital Payments

The integration of the “Pay with PalmPay Wallet” feature on Jumia marks a major milestone in the partnership between the two industry leaders.

Speaking at the media announcement, Mr. Chika Nwosu, Managing Director of PalmPay, highlighted the broader mission driving this collaboration: “We are thrilled to join forces with Jumia to redefine convenience for shoppers. At PalmPay, our mission has always been to drive economic empowerment through accessible and user-friendly financial services. This partnership is a natural step forward in achieving that goal.”

Beyond the holidays, this partnership with Jumia m,k is a signal of bigger things to come. Mr. Chika added: “This is more than just about payments—it’s about creating value for our customers. We are excited about the opportunities this partnership will unlock in 2025, including campaigns and innovative initiatives that will further transform the online shopping landscape.”

Sunil Natraj, CEO of Jumia Nigeria, highlighted the shared vision between both companies, stating: “At Jumia, we are dedicated to creating value for our customers by ensuring a convenient, reliable, and secure shopping experience. This partnership with PalmPay strengthens our commitment to enhancing the digital payments within our platform. By integrating PalmPay, we are providing more options for customers to access affordable and quality goods with the convenience of cashless transactions.”

How to Join the Holiday Fun

Participating in the campaign is simple. When shopping on Jumia, select the “Pay with PalmPay” option at checkout, and your entry into the draw is automatic. It’s that easy!

Bonus Entry: Share a screenshot of your purchase on X (formerly Twitter) using the hashtag #PalmPayXJumia to increase your chances of winning. Additional winners will be selected from participants engaging with the campaign on Twitter.

Whether you are shopping for gifts, or gadgets this festive season, PalmPay and Jumia are making sure your experience is not only seamless but also rewarding.

To learn more about the campaign, stay tuned to the official  X accounts (formerly Twitter) of @palmpay_ng and @JumiaNigeria. for updates, announcements, and more chances to win.


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Corruption: ICPC Threatens Sanctions as 330 MDAs Fail Financial, Governance Tests

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Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offenses Commission (ICPC), has revealed that none of the Ministries, Departments, and Agencies (MDAs), in the country complied fully with ethical standards, policies, and anti-corruption measures in the passing year.

Corruption: ICPC Threatens Sanctions as 330 MDAs Fail Financial, Governance Tests

This was following the findings from the Commission’s Ethics and Integrity Compliance Scorecard (EICS) for the MDAs.

The Commission warned that henceforth, non-compliant MDAs will face necessary actions, including enforcement, to ensure adherence to government directives.

According to the EICS scorecard released on Thursday in Abuja by Demola Bakare, ICPC spokesperson, no MDA out of 330 MDAs that were assessed through physical deployment by ICPC teams achieved full compliance.

The EICS serves as a preventive tool used to assess and enhance the compliance of MDAs with ethical standards, policies, and anti-corruption measures.

Findings from the report indicated that no MDA achieved full compliance, while 29.55 per cent of MDAs captured attained substantial compliance, and 51.62 per cent had partial compliance.

The report also observed that 15.91 per cent showed poor compliance, while 292 per cent were non-compliant.

According to the report, common gaps included a lack of whistle-blower policies, strategic plans, and effective stock verification units, adding that many MDAs failed to conduct any forms of system studies or render financial and audit reports.

Commenting on the report, Bakare noted: “This year, 2024, the tool covered 323 responsive MDAs, with 15 MDAs non-responsive and categorised as high corruption risk.

“It is imperative to inform you that this initiative has yielded some positive and value-driven impacts, and these are, but not limited to, increased awareness and compliance with anti-corruption measures, enhanced competition among MDAs to meet criteria, and improved procurement processes and data reliability.

“The Commission recognises the MDAs with substantial compliance and will continue deploying these tools to promote integrity and accountability.

“Non-compliant MDAs will face necessary actions, including enforcement, to ensure adherence to government directives. We are certain that these efforts will continue to underline ICPC’s dedication to enhancing good governance and preventing corruption.”


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Dangote Refinery Denies Liquidity Challenges, Dismisses NNPCL’s $1Bn Loan Claim

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Dangote Petroleum Refinery and Petrochemicals (DPRP) has dismissed claims that the Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited (NNPCL) used a $1 billion loan secured through a crude forward sale agreement to support the refinery during a liquidity crisis.

Dangote Refinery Denies Liquidity Challenges, Dismisses NNPCL’s $1Bn Loan Claim

In a statement on Wednesday, Anthony Chiejina, company’s chief branding and communications officer, said the NNPCL’s stance was a distortion of the facts.

“We would like to clarify that this is a misrepresentation of the situation as $1bn is just about 5% of the investment that went into building the Dangote Refinery,” Chiejina said.

Chiejina stated that the refinery’s decision to enter into a partnership with the NNPCL was based on the recognition of “their strategic position in the industry as the largest offtaker of Nigerian crude” and at the time, the sole supplier of petrol into Nigeria.

“We agreed on the sale of a 20% stake at a value of $2.76 billion. Of this, we agreed that they will only pay $1 billion while the balance will be recovered over a period of 5 years through deductions on crude oil that they supply to us and from dividends due to them,” Chiejina said.

“If we were struggling with liquidity challenges we wouldn’t have given them such generous payment terms. As at 2021 when the agreement was signed, the refinery was at the pre-commission stage.”

According to the statement, the agreement would have been cash-based rather than credit-driven if the refinery struggled with liquidity issues.

The refinery’s spokesman said the NNPCL was subsequently unable to supply the agreed 300,000 barrels a day of crude (bpd).

He stated that the shortfall was because the NNPPC “had committed a greater part of their crude cargoes to financiers with the expectation of higher production which they were unable to achieve”.

“We subsequently gave them a 12-month period for them to pay cash for the balance of their equity given their inability to supply the agreed crude oil volume,” he said.

“NNPCL failed to meet this deadline which expired on June 30th 2024. As a result, their equity share was revised down to 7.24%. These events have been widely reported by both parties,” he said.


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