North Africa
Algeria Positions Itself as Europe’s Hydrogen Supplier with 3,300km Pipeline Backed by Five Nations
Algeria and Tunisia have secured political backing from Italy, Austria and Germany for the SouthH2 Corridor, a 3,300-kilometre hydrogen export pipeline designed to supply more than 40% of the European Union’s 2030 hydrogen import target, with operations targeted for the early 2030s.
The five nations have signed a political declaration reinforcing cooperation on project development, financing and commercial partnerships for the corridor, which is designed to transport more than four million tons of renewable hydrogen annually from North Africa through Italy and Austria to Germany.
The declaration follows an initial agreement signed in Rome in January 2025 and formalises closer coordination between governments, transmission system operators, regulators, financial institutions, hydrogen producers and prospective buyers.
A dedicated secretariat, hosted by the United Nations Industrial Development Organization (UNIDO) and launched in Rome in September 2026, will support cross-border implementation and facilitate public-private cooperation.
Commercial development is advancing through the Algeria to Europe Hydrogen Alliance, a consortium comprising Sonatrach and Sonelgaz, Algeria’s state-owned oil and gas company and national electricity and gas utility, respectively, alongside European operators Snam, SeaCorridor, VERBUND and Germany’s VNG.
The partners are currently conducting preliminary feasibility studies on hydrogen production in Algeria, transportation infrastructure and potential European offtake markets.
Source: Businessfront
Egypt
Egypt Signs Agreement with Talaat Moustafa Group for USD 202 Billion Transformation Across Four Mega-Projects
Egypt has announced an agreement with family-led property developer Talaat Moustafa Group. The agreement covers the development, construction and operation of projects in and around Cairo, Alexandria and Egypt’s Mediterranean coast. It places one of the country’s most influential private developers at the centre of the government’s continuing effort to create new urban and commercial centres.
The four developments are North Madinaty, a project covering 11.3 million square metres in central Alexandria; an economic hub incorporating industrial, logistics and property developments in Abu Qir; and a destination on Egypt’s North Coast modelled on TMG’s SouthMed development.
President Abdel Fattah el-Sisi witnessed the announcement during the second day of the Egypt Forum 2026. Prime Minister Mostafa Madbouly also attended the event.
Source: Business Insider Africa
Ghana
Ghana Signs agreement for USD 28 Billion Petroleum Hub Expansion with Planned 300,000-Barrel Refinery
Ghana has signed an agreement for a proposed USD 28 billion expansion of its Petroleum Hub, including a 300,000-barrel refinery, as it seeks a larger role in West Africa’s fuel processing and distribution industry.
The Petroleum Hub Development Corporation recently signed a memorandum of understanding in Accra with a consortium led by UAE-based Global Sphere, involving investors and technical partners from South Korea and Mali.
The announcement sets out the proposed investment, but financial close has not been established. Ghana’s Energy Minister, John Abdulai Jinapor, has acknowledged that financing, land acquisition and compensation issues still need resolving before the project can advance.
The development, designated Lot Two, would include two petrochemical plants, four million cubic metres of storage and a multi-berth jetty alongside the refinery. Its scale reflects an ambition to build an industrial and trading centre serving markets beyond Ghana.
If the proposals mature, they could deepen African cross-border investment and provide new capacity in strategically important sectors. The next phase will determine whether the USD 3.8 billion expression of interest becomes factories, supply contracts and sustainable employment.
Source: Business Insider Africa
Kenya
Kenya Plans USD 3 Billion EV Factories to Produce 150,000 Vehicles a Year
Kenya is betting USD 3 billion on electric mobility to build more vehicles locally, create jobs and reduce its dependence on imported vehicles and fuel. The government has signed a memorandum of understanding with Endelevu Enterprise Corporation for the project, in partnership with Chinese automaker Geely Auto Group, President William Ruto recently announced.
The program includes a plant with capacity to assemble 50,000 electric four-wheel vehicles a year and a second facility designed to produce up to 100,000 electric two-wheelers and light mobility vehicles annually. The proposed infrastructure also includes 1,000 solar-powered charging hubs and a digital platform capable of managing up to 100,000 vehicles.
Kenya wants the project to extend beyond its domestic market. Locally produced vehicles that comply with East African Community rules of origin could gain access to markets across East Africa, potentially positioning the country as a regional production base.
The ambition forms part of Kenya’s National Electric Mobility Policy, launched in February 2026, which supports local manufacturing, charging infrastructure and skills development. Kenya’s electric vehicle market has grown rapidly. The number of registered EVs reached 39,324 at the end of 2025, up from 1,378 in 2022.
Source: Ecofin Agency
Nigeria
World Bank Plans USD 5.79 Billion Investment in Nigeria, Targets 850,000 Jobs
The World Bank Group says it plans to help attract up to USD 5.79 billion in private investment to Nigeria in 2026. One of its major programmes is expected to support about 850,000 direct and indirect jobs.
The funding will support key sectors, including digital infrastructure, agriculture, telecommunications and small businesses.
The World Bank Group said the initiative combines financial support, business investments and economic reforms to attract private investors and boost Nigeria’s economic growth.
The digital infrastructure will attract USD 1.1 billion. Through its Broadband Infrastructure Development (BRIDGE) Project, the World Bank aims to provide an additional 58 million Nigerians with access to affordable internet by 2030.
The project seeks to increase broadband coverage from 92 million people in 2025 to 150 million by 2030.
The first phase is expected to attract at least USD 156 million in private investment, while later phases could raise the total investment to USD 1.1 billion by 2030.
The project also plans to connect 38,800 public schools, 16,900 health facilities and 3,400 local government offices to broadband services.
Source: PM News Nigeria
Rwanda
Rwanda to Bring F1 Back to Africa for the First Time since 1993
Africa will return to the Formula One calendar for the first time since 1993, with Rwanda set to host a Grand Prix from the early 2030s in a 10-year deal announced recently.
Formula One last raced on the continent at South Africa’s Kyalami circuit to the north of Johannesburg and has long sought a way back.
The race will be called the African Grand Prix, presented by Visit Rwanda, and held at a circuit that is yet to be built alongside a new international airport under construction at Bugesera some 40km (25 miles) south of the capital Kigali.
The purpose-built Grade One track, designed by Austrian former driver Alex Wurz with long-time F1 architect Tilke also involved, is expected to be completed early in the next decade and be fast and flowing with significant changes of elevation and putting spectators close to the action.
Jean-Guy Afrika, CEO of the Rwanda Development Board, said the track would have a 100,000 capacity and also be a multi-purpose facility with year-round utilisation as a concert and exhibition venue.
Rwanda will be the third African country to host a round of the championship since the start in 1950, with Morocco putting on a race outside Casablanca in 1958.
Source: Reuters
Tanzania
Tanzania Edges Closer to USD 42 Billion Gas Deal in Push to Become East Africa’s Energy Hub
Tanzania expects to conclude agreements on several major investment projects in the coming months, including a USD 42 billion liquefied natural gas (LNG) development that could strengthen its position as an energy hub in East Africa.
Finance Minister Khamis Mussa Omar said the negotiations were nearing completion, after officials had initially expected the LNG agreement to be signed before June.
The project, led by Equinor and Shell, is expected to unlock 47.13 trillion cubic feet of natural gas reserves. ExxonMobil, Pavilion Energy, Medco Energi and state-owned Tanzania Petroleum Development Corporation are also involved, according to Reuters.
Although most of the gas will be exported, a portion will be reserved for domestic consumption. The development forms part of broader efforts to expand the region’s energy industry, alongside Uganda’s plan to begin its first oil exports through Tanzania’s port of Tanga in early 2027.
Tanzania plans to nearly double its electricity generation capacity to 8,000 megawatts by 2030, while increasing the share of energy from sources it classifies as clean to around 75%. These include hydropower, solar, wind and natural gas.
The government wants to attract more international capital into projects capable of generating revenue and financing their own operations.
Source: Business Insider Africa
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Reports
Trade and Development Report 2026: The Geoeconomics of Development | UN Trade and Development
The global economy has absorbed the pressures of 2026 with more resilience than expected. The conflict in the Middle East disrupted transit through the Strait of Hormuz, sending oil prices to around USD 100 a barrel and pushing inflation back up. Yet world trade, which reached a record USD 35 trillion last year, is on track to grow by about 4 percent in 2026. That resilience conceals a widening divergence. Global growth is slowing to 2.6 percent, and outside a few fast-growing Asian economies, the developing world as a whole is no longer catching up with developed economies.
This year’s Trade and Development 2026: The Geoeconomics of Development attributes these contradictions to the rise of geoeconomics, where states use trade, finance and technology to advance strategic interests, particularly in sectors they consider critical to national security and technological leadership. Digital technologies and artificial intelligence have blurred the line between economic and national security. Geography weighs heavily on supply chains. Globalisation continues, but along new contested lines.
For developing countries, the shift reaches the foundations of development. Industrialisation, merchandise trade and integration into global value chains have long served as a ladder towards higher incomes. Each rung of this ladder is now less reliable. Value creation is moving into strategic sectors, semiconductors, artificial intelligence, clean technologies, where the cost of entry is high.
Click here to download and read the full report.
Strategic Framework for the Development of Electric Vehicles in Africa| United Nations Economic Commission for Africa
The deployment of electric vehicles in Africa presents a multifaceted opportunity to align industrialisation with climate resilience, energy security and regional integration. Unlocking this potential, however, requires overcoming persistent structural constraints, including fragmented policies, weak infrastructure, limited access to finance and low consumer awareness. To this end, harmonised, continent-wide strategic frameworks that foster coherence across national strategies, enable shared infrastructure investments and support local manufacturing and innovation are essential.
The proposed strategic approach prioritises actionable, cross-cutting and context-specific interventions aimed at positioning Africa not only as a participant in the global electric vehicle revolution, but also as a front-runner in the development of sustainable transport solutions. It seeks to leverage regional strengths, foster policy innovation and boost industrial value creation. The present document sets out a policy framework tailored to the varied socioeconomic, environmental and infrastructural contexts prevalent across Africa. The framework is derived from a report produced by the Economic Commission for Africa, in collaboration with the United Nations Environment Programme and the African Union Commission, titled An Assessment of the Development of Electric Vehicles in Africa: Advancing Electric Mobility in Africa – Context and Strategic Imperatives. That report presented the findings of a survey of progress, challenges and prospects regarding the adoption of electric vehicles by African countries.
Click here to download and read the full report.
Critical Minerals in Africa: A Regional Overview | Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development
Advanced and emerging economies are competing to secure the critical minerals needed for the digital and green transitions, defence and advanced manufacturing. Africa holds a large share of these resources but accounts for only 10.6% of global critical mineral exports, almost all of them raw or semi-processed.
This Regional Note examines Africa’s current and potential role in supply chains for cobalt, copper, graphite, lithium, manganese and nickel. It reviews production, investment and trade patterns and the main constraints on the sector, then sets out the fundamentals African countries need to benefit from their resources: robust geological information systems, updated legal and fiscal frameworks, stronger linkages to the wider economy and formalised artisanal and small-scale mining. It concludes with recommendations for African governments, regional institutions, international partners and supply chain actors.
Click here to download and read the full report.
Africa Economic Update: Building AI-Readiness| World Bank
Economic growth in Sub-Saharan Africa held up in 2026 despite heightened geopolitical tensions and a range of regional and domestic headwinds. Growth is projected to increase from 4.1 percent in 2025 to 4.3 percent in 2026, supported by robust global trade and sustained external demand.
However, mounting debt service burdens, limited fiscal space, higher energy and transport costs, and heightened uncertainty continue to weigh on the outlook. At the same time, artificial intelligence offers opportunities for productivity and job creation, but adoption remains uneven. Limited connectivity constrains workers’ ability to benefit from AI augmentation, while public sector adoption remains basic in many countries. Strengthening the enablers for AI adoption will be important for realising productivity gains, improving efficiency, and broadening the benefits from AI.
