For more than a decade, Nigeria’s small and medium-scale enterprises (SMEs), the country’s largest employers and backbone of the real economy, have remained largely excluded from formal bank financing, despite repeated policy pledges to support them. An analysis of the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) Statistical Bulletin covering 2014 to 2023 reveals a troubling reality: …
Nigeria’s participation in the Pan-African Payment and Settlement System (PAPSS) recorded a sharp decline in the first half of 2025. The value of cross-border transactions processed through the platform fell by 53 per cent to N5.6 billion, according to the Central Bank of Nigeria’s (CBN) Financial Stability Report for June 30, 2025. The number of …
Zambia has withdrawn request for a one-year extension of its Extended Credit Facility (ECF) with the International Monetary Fund (IMF), the Fund confirmed on Wednesday with no reason provided for the reversal. The ECF, agreed in 2022, aimed to help Zambia stabilize its finances after defaulting on international debt in 2023. A one-year extension would …
In the shifting landscape of Nigeria’s investment economy, a silent revolution is underway. It is not powered by oil rigs or government budgets but by data, digital innovation, and private capital that are redefining how Nigerian startups grow, scale, and survive. For the first time in decades, private equity (PE) and venture capital (VC) have …
In a sign of shifting priorities at the world’s most powerful central bank, the U.S. Federal Reserve is expected to cut interest rates twice more before year-end, a move analysts say reflects mounting concern over a slowing job market despite persistent inflation. According to a survey, out of 117 economists, 115 expect the Fed to …
Brazil’s economic activity rose 0.4% in August compared with the previous month, falling short of the 0.6% increase economists had forecast, according to data from the central bank’s IBC-BR index released Thursday. The index, which serves as a monthly proxy for GDP, combines estimates from agriculture, industry, services, and production-related taxes. Only the agriculture sector …
New Zealand has appointed Swedish economist Anna Breman as the next Governor of the Reserve Bank of New Zealand (RBNZ), marking a historic first for the country. She will assume office on December 1, 2025, becoming both the first woman and the first foreign national to lead the bank in its modern history. Finance Minister …
The U.S. cryptocurrency market is bracing for a surge of new exchange-traded funds (ETFs) after regulators streamlined approval standards, reducing hurdles for issuers. The U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) last week approved new listing standards that allow crypto ETFs meeting predetermined requirements to launch without lengthy, case-by-case reviews. Approval timelines have decreased to as …
Nigeria’s headline inflation rate continued its downward trend for the fifth consecutive month, easing to 20.12 per cent in August 2025 from 21.88 per cent recorded in July. This represents a 1.76 percentage point decline, according to the Consumer Price Index (CPI) report released on Monday by the National Bureau of Statistics (NBS). The sustained …
