Business

Mali Eyes Atlantic Access Via Senegal River Corridor

Mali Eyes Atlantic Access Via Senegal River Corridor

Mali is poised to break its dependence on costly overland trade routes after four member states of the Organisation for the Development of the Senegal River formally approved the launch of a long-delayed navigation project that would give the landlocked country its first direct waterway connection to the Atlantic, a development that has been on the drawing board since the 1970s but has consistently stalled on financing and institutional momentum until now.

The decision was taken at the 78th Ordinary Session of the OMVS Council of Ministers, held on January 30 and 31 in Nouakchott under the chairmanship of Mali’s …

Japan PM And BOJ Chief Meet As Rate Hike Speculation Mounts

Japan PM And BOJ Chief Meet As Rate Hike Speculation Mounts

Bank of Japan Governor Kazuo Ueda meets Japan’s newly empowered Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi on Monday in their first bilateral session since she led the ruling Liberal Democratic Party to a historic parliamentary supermajority, a meeting the two sides described as a routine exchange but which markets are closely watching for signals on the pace of future interest rate increases.

The session, scheduled for 5:00 p.m. at the prime minister’s office in Tokyo, is the second time Ueda and Takaichi have met since she became premier in October and the first since the LDP’s landslide election victory on February 8. …

CBN: Nigeria Reserves Hit $49bn From $3bn In 2023

CBN: Nigeria Reserves Hit $49bn From $3bn In 2023

Nigeria’s foreign exchange reserves climbed to $49 billion as of February 5, a sixteenfold increase from the $3 billion inherited by the current Central Bank administration when President Bola Tinubu took office in May 2023, CBN Governor Olayemi Cardoso disclosed Monday at a national economic policy conference in Abuja.

Cardoso told participants at the second edition of the National Economic Council conference that the growth represents a 4.93 percent increase from the last reported figure of $46.7 billion, marking what he described as a fundamental turnaround in Nigeria’s external position after years of chronic foreign exchange shortages and market dysfunction.…

FTSE 100 Breaks 10,000 Barrier In Historic Market Rally 2025

FTSE 100 Breaks 10,000 Barrier In Historic Market Rally 2025

London shares reach record level after strong gains in mining, defense and banking stocks cap a standout year for the UK equity market in 2025.

FTSE 100 surged past the 10,000 mark for the first time on Monday, a symbolic milestone for Britain’s blue-chip stock index that underscores a powerful rally driven by commodities, defense, and financial shares.

The benchmark index, which tracks the largest companies listed on the London Stock Exchange, extended gains that began last year, building on a nearly 22% advance in 2025. That performance marked its strongest annual showing since the global financial crisis of 2009 …

Musk Targets Neuralink Chip Output With Automated Surgery AI

Musk Targets Neuralink Chip Output With Automated Surgery AI

Elon Musk’s Neuralink plans high-volume brain chip production in 2026 while automating implantation, expanding trials for paralysis and neurological patients.

Elon Musk says his brain-computer interface company, Neuralink, is preparing to move into high-volume production of its brain implants in 2026, alongside a major shift toward automating the surgical procedure used to place the devices in patients.

In a series of posts on X this week, Musk said Neuralink plans to scale manufacturing of its brain chips while streamlining implantation into what he described as an “almost entirely automated” process. The move signals a new phase for the startup as …

Bill Gates Warns AI Misuse Could Lead To Scary Outcomes Soon

Bill Gates Warns That AI Misuse Could Lead To Scary Outcomes

Microsoft founder Gates praises AI’s promise in healthcare but urges vigilance as leaders warn the fast-moving technology could displace jobs and be abused.

Microsoft founder Bill Gates has warned that Artificial Intelligence (AI), could produce “scary” consequences if it falls into the wrong hands, even as he described the technology as one of the most powerful tools humanity has ever created.

Speaking in recent broadcast interviews, Gates said AI has the potential to transform daily life, particularly in healthcare, where he believes it could dramatically improve access and quality of care within the next decade. He said AI systems could

Otedola Exits Geregu Power In $750m Deal, Shifts Focus Ahead

Otedola Exits Geregu Power In $750m Deal, Shifts Focus Ahead

Deal values Geregu Power at $750 million as Nigerian billionaire Otedola reallocates capital toward banking and broader financial services investments growth.

Nigerian billionaire Femi Otedola has sold his controlling interest in Geregu Power Plc in a deal valued at about $750 million, marking a major shift away from the power sector as he prepares to deploy fresh capital into financial services.

The transaction ends Otedola’s long-running involvement in Geregu Power, one of Nigeria’s largest electricity generation companies, and underscores his growing focus on banking and related investments. A source with direct knowledge of the deal confirmed the valuation.

Otedola, who …

Bitcoin: Capitulation Signal Revives $180,000 Rally Case Now

Bitcoin: Capitulation Signal Revives $180,000 Rally Case Now

Rare RSI breakdown, liquidity shifts and ETF flows fuel debate over whether Bitcoin’s four-year cycle has ended as prices hover near $89,000 today now.

Bitcoin is flashing a technical signal that has historically marked moments of extreme stress—and, in past cycles, the start of powerful rebounds.

The world’s largest cryptocurrency is trading near $89,000 after its 14-day relative strength index (RSI) fell below 30 in mid-November, a level widely watched by traders as a sign of capitulation. Such readings indicate heavy selling pressure and, in some cases, the exhaustion of bearish momentum.

A chart circulating among macro investors, shared by

Nigerian Stocks: Gain ₦331 Billion As Nestlé, Guinness Rally

Nigerian Stocks: Gain ₦331 Billion As Nestlé, Guinness Rally

Blue-chip buying lifts the market for a fourth day as Nestlé and Guinness surge, offsetting losses in Stanbic and other financial stocks.

Nigeria’s stock market extended its winning streak on Thursday, adding about ₦331 billion in value as strong buying interest in consumer and industrial stocks outweighed declines in banking and insurance names.

Market capitalization rose by 0.35 percent to ₦95.856 trillion, up from ₦95.525 trillion at the previous session’s close, according to data from the Nigerian Exchange. The benchmark All-Share Index climbed by 520.23 points, also a gain of 0.35 percent, to settle at 150,363.05, marking the fourth straight …

UBA Launches $100 Million ‘Auto Finance Program’ For Drivers

UBA Launches $100 Million ‘Auto Finance Program’ For Drivers

Nigeria’s UBA partners with LagRide, CIG Motors, and Lagos State Government to enable 3,500 drivers to own vehicles through structured loans.

United Bank for Africa (UBA) Plc has launched a $100 million vehicle financing program aimed at empowering 3,500 drivers across Lagos State, signaling a major push for financial inclusion and urban mobility transformation in Nigeria.

The initiative, called “Drive to Own,” was unveiled at a ceremony in Lagos, with UBA partnering with CIG Motors, LagRide, and the Lagos State Government. The program allows beneficiaries to acquire vehicles with just a 10% initial equity contribution, repaying the balance over a …

Google Quietly Backs $5 Billion Shift From U.S. Bitcoin To AI

Google Quietly Backs $5 Billion Shift From U.S. Bitcoin To AI

Credit guarantees tied to Google are reshaping bitcoin miners into AI data center hosts, unlocking bank financing and altering crypto and AI power dynamics.

Google has quietly emerged as a central financial force behind a sweeping transformation in the U.S. bitcoin mining industry, backing billions of dollars in projects that repurpose mining sites into artificial intelligence data centers.

The Alphabet-owned technology giant, rather than buying mining companies outright, is using a credit-based structure that has provided at least $5 billion in disclosed financial backing to support AI infrastructure built on former bitcoin mining campuses, according to company filings and market

Fidelity Bank Restricts Accounts Without Tax IDs In 2026 Act

Fidelity Bank Restricts Accounts Without Tax IDs In 2026 Act

Nigerian Fidelity bank cites new tax law, warns customers to link TIN or NIN before January 1, 2026 or face transaction limits nationwide across all branches.

Fidelity Bank Plc has warned customers that bank accounts not linked to a Tax Identification Number or National Identity Number will face transaction restrictions starting January 1, 2026, as Nigeria moves to tighten enforcement of tax compliance laws.

The bank disclosed the plan in a notification sent to customers this week, citing requirements under the Nigerian Tax Administration Act (NTAA) 2025. The law mandates that all bank accounts belonging to taxable individuals must be