Africa News Live Updates: Welcome to our live blog covering the latest developments from across Africa. Follow real-time updates on political transitions, security and peacekeeping efforts, regional integration, economic innovation, climate impacts, migration trends and grassroots activism. Track the continent’s evolving role in global affairs and its efforts to address both internal and external challenges
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Following Africa as it happens. Image courtesy Google Gemini
Africa navigates a complex day of governance shifts, security reforms, energy innovation and social justice efforts. From Nigeria’s healthcare funding and political developments to Rwanda’s new weapons laws and DRC’s solar breakthrough, follow key updates shaping the continent’s future today:
Shifts in policy, power and progress across Africa today
Africa News Live Updates: Welcome to our live blog covering the latest developments from across Africa. Follow real-time updates on political transitions, security and peacekeeping efforts, regional integration, economic innovation, climate impacts, migration trends and grassroots activism. Track the continent’s evolving role in global affairs and its efforts to address both internal and external challenges
July 2, 2025, 00:48:22 (IST)
Reckless bank licensing has damaged trust amid sector-wide crisis, says banking association head
The head of a major banking association has stated that reckless bank licensing has caused a sector-wide crisis and damaged public trust in South Africa’s financial system, according to a report in the Daily Sun. The comments highlight growing concerns over financial stability, linked to issues of weak corporate governance, non-performing loans, and insufficient regulatory supervision. These problems are compounded by wider economic pressures such as high inflation and currency depreciation. The statement increases scrutiny on financial regulators and has significant implications for investor confidence, as it points to systemic risks within the country’s banking industry.
July 2, 2025, 00:47:16 (IST)
Nigeria and Saudi Arabia sign customs cooperation agreement
Nigeria and Saudi Arabia have signed an agreement to establish a formal framework for customs cooperation, according to a report in Premium Times. The deal is designed to facilitate mutual administrative assistance between the two countries in several key areas. These include customs enforcement, proper classification and valuation of goods, protection of government revenue, and the implementation of coordinated border management strategies.
July 2, 2025, 00:47:16 (IST)
Gunmen kill 10 people in attack on community in Anambra, Nigeria
Gunmen have killed 10 people in an attack on a community in Nigeria’s Anambra State, according to a report in Premium Times. The incident is the latest in a series of violent acts in the region, occurring less than a week after police confirmed that gunmen had killed one person and abducted another in separate attacks across two other communities in Anambra.
July 2, 2025, 00:46:11 (IST)
Nigerian troops kill eight insurgents in Borno state
Nigerian troops killed eight insurgents during a battle on June 30 in the Manawaji area of Borno State’s Gamboru Ngala local government area, according to a report in Premium Times. The incident is part of the ongoing counter-insurgency operations by the Nigerian military against groups like Boko Haram and the Islamic State West Africa Province (ISWAP) in the country’s northeast region.
July 2, 2025, 00:45:06 (IST)
Police in Nigeria arrest suspected vandals with stolen electricity cables
Police in Nigeria have arrested suspected vandals found in possession of stolen electricity infrastructure, Premium Times said in a report. Authorities recovered various items from the suspects, including assorted offcuts of aluminum profiles along with copper and aluminum electric cables of various sizes.
July 2, 2025, 00:31:11 (IST)
Madagascar’s president in Paris for talks on disputed Indian Ocean islands
Madagascar’s President Andry Rajoelina is in Paris for high-level talks with French officials regarding the long-standing sovereignty dispute over the Scattered Islands in the Indian Ocean, Africanews says in a report. The discussions with French President Emmanuel Macron are a continuation of a joint commission agreed upon in 2019 to address the future of the islands, known as Îles Éparses. France retained administrative control over the strategically important islands, which possess a vast Exclusive Economic Zone, after separating them from Madagascar just prior to the nation’s independence in 1960, a move that Madagascar has consistently contested.
July 2, 2025, 00:31:11 (IST)
Nigeria’s oil production increases to 1.745 million barrels per day
Nigeria’s oil production has reached 1.745 million barrels per day, a figure that surpasses the country’s recent OPEC+ quota of 1.5 million barrels per day, according to a report in Premium Times. The announcement was made by the Minister of State Petroleum Resources (Gas), Ekperikpe Ekpo, who also highlighted that Nigeria possesses proven gas reserves exceeding 200 trillion cubic feet.
July 2, 2025, 00:30:07 (IST)
Uncertainty looms over Nissan South Africa amid global restructuring
Nissan South Africa is facing a period of uncertainty amid its parent company’s ongoing global restructuring, largely driven by the worldwide shift to electric vehicles, according to a report in Africanews. The situation presents a significant challenge to South Africa’s automotive sector, which contributes approximately 4.3% to the nation’s GDP and is a major employer. This uncertainty is exacerbated by domestic issues such as the country’s energy crisis, but experts suggest it could also open opportunities for investment in cleaner technologies like EV production if stakeholders adapt to the changing industrial landscape.
July 2, 2025, 00:30:07 (IST)
Inaugural Alliance of Sahel States Games conclude in Mali
The first-ever Alliance of Sahel States (AES) Games concluded in Bamako, Mali, running from June 21 to June 28, 2025, according to a report in Africanews. The event brought together more than 500 athletes from the three member nations—Mali, Burkina Faso, and Niger—who competed in various sports including football and wrestling. The games were organized as a public demonstration of unity and solidarity among the three countries, which have all experienced recent political changes and face ongoing regional conflict.
July 1, 2025, 23:33:25 (IST)
Nigerian aviation authority grounds Rano Air aircraft after engine incident
The Nigerian Civil Aviation Authority’s (NCAA) Directorate of Airworthiness has ordered a Rano Air aircraft to be grounded following an engine incident in Sokoto, as per a report in Premium Times. The aircraft, identified as 5N-BZY, is mandated to remain on the ground until a full investigation into the matter is completed by the regulatory body.
July 1, 2025, 23:32:18 (IST)
Kenya mandates health warning labels for 90% of packaged food under new regulations
New regulations in Kenya will mandate that 90% of packaged food products display a front-of-pack health warning label, Africa News said in a report. The move is a public health measure aimed at tackling the country’s rising rates of obesity and non-communicable diseases. The World Health Organization (WHO) has described the growing obesity problem in Africa as a “ticking time bomb.” Dr. Matshidiso Moeti, the WHO Regional Director for Africa, warned that without such checks, millions of people on the continent risk living shorter lives due to poor health.
July 1, 2025, 23:31:12 (IST)
New Lions Club chartered in Kigali to promote community development
A new community service organization, the Lions Club Kigali Impact, was officially chartered in Kigali, Rwanda, on June 30, according to a report in The New Times. The establishment marks the city’s second Lions Club in 67 years. The new chapter has stated its commitment to focusing on and promoting community development projects within the area.
July 1, 2025, 23:30:09 (IST)
Rwandan president Paul Kagame meets with Niger’s prime minister
President Paul Kagame of Rwanda met with the Prime Minister of Niger, Ali Mahaman Lamine Zeine, at Village Urugwiro on Tuesday, July 1, The New Times said in a report. The discussion between the two leaders centered on key continental priorities.
July 1, 2025, 23:30:09 (IST)
Nigerian President Tinubu calls for deeper West African economic integration
At the West African Economic Summit (WAES) 2025, Nigerian President Bola Tinubu called for deeper regional integration to unlock the region’s economic potential, according to a report in Premium Times. He described West Africa as one of the last great frontiers for economic growth but cautioned that this opportunity alone does not guarantee transformation.
July 1, 2025, 23:30:09 (IST)
Nigeria’s House of Representatives to investigate €1.2 million debt to OACPS
Nigeria’s House of Representatives is set to launch a probe into the country’s outstanding €1.2 million debt to the Organisation of African, Caribbean and Pacific States (OACPS), Premium Times says in a report. The investigation follows reports that Nigeria has consistently struggled to meet its financial commitments to the organization. This failure to pay has raised concerns that it could be hindering the OACPS’s operations and the implementation of its various projects.
July 1, 2025, 22:00:05 (IST)
Ethiopia’s central bank cancels mandatory T-bond purchase for commercial banks
The National Bank of Ethiopia (NBE) has eliminated a directive that mandated commercial banks invest a portion of their loans into government Treasury Bonds, a significant policy shift for the nation’s financial sector, according to a report in Capital Ethiopia. This move is expected to free up capital for commercial banks, increasing their liquidity and autonomy over lending portfolios, which could stimulate more credit access for the private sector. The cancellation of the mandatory T-bond purchases, a policy previously used to secure government financing, is seen as a key step towards financial liberalization and aligns with market-oriented reforms.
July 1, 2025, 22:00:05 (IST)
Ethiopia’s central bank mandates dematerialization of all government securities
The National Bank of Ethiopia (NBE) has mandated the full dematerialization of all government and NBE securities, transitioning from paper certificates to an electronic book-entry system, as per a report in Capital Ethiopia. Under the new directive, MFAD/001/2025, the move to a digital format is intended to improve market efficiency, transparency, and investor confidence while reducing systemic risks associated with physical certificates. This initiative is part of Ethiopia’s broader economic reform and digitalization agendas, aiming to modernize the financial sector and enhance public debt management.
July 1, 2025, 21:15:09 (IST)
Algerian court upholds 5-year sentence for writer Boualem Sansal, escalating tensions with France
An Algerian court has upheld a five-year prison sentence for writer Boualem Sansal, who holds both French and Algerian citizenship, according to a report in The New York Times. The conviction of the author has reportedly worsened already strained relations between Algeria and France. This incident follows a period of heightened bilateral tensions stemming from historical disagreements and previous French actions, such as visa restrictions on Algerian citizens.
July 1, 2025, 21:06:39 (IST)
Mohammed Janabi assumes office as WHO Africa regional director
Mohammed Janabi has formally assumed his position as the new regional director for the World Health Organization’s (WHO) Africa region, Premium Times says in a report. His assumption of office follows his election in May 2025, which took place during a special session of the WHO Regional Committee for Africa held in Geneva.
July 1, 2025, 21:05:34 (IST)
Nigerian athletes Ofili and Ezekiel to make Diamond League debuts in Eugene
Nigerian athletes Favour Ofili and Nathaniel Ezekiel are scheduled to make their debuts in the Diamond League series at the upcoming Eugene Meet, according to a report in Premium Times. In addition to Ofili and Ezekiel competing in their first Diamond League events, a number of other Nigerian athletes will also be participating in non-Diamond League competitions at the same meet.
July 1, 2025, 21:05:34 (IST)
Algerian court upholds five-year prison sentence for writer Boualem Sansal
An Algerian court on Tuesday upheld a five-year prison sentence for French-Algerian writer Boualem Sansal for undermining national unity, prompting a call for clemency from the French government, France 24 said in a report. The writer, who resides in France, was detained during a visit to Algeria in November and originally sentenced in March. The charges stem from statements made to a French media outlet in which he endorsed Morocco’s position on territory he claimed was seized under French colonialism and annexed to Algeria.
July 1, 2025, 21:04:29 (IST)
Ahmadu Bello University wins Nigerian collegiate 3×3 basketball championship
Ahmadu Bello University (ABU) has been crowned the champion of the collegiate 3×3 basketball tournament in Nigeria, as per a report in Premium Times. Ibrahim Abdulkadir of ABU was named the tournament’s Most Valuable Player for his significant contributions to his team’s victory. Additionally, Godwin Ogbani-Daniel from the University of Osun was recognized as the tournament’s highest scorer.
July 1, 2025, 21:03:23 (IST)
Lagos governor commends Kings College alumni for 20th anniversary legacy projects
Lagos Governor Sanwo-Olu praised the Kings College Class of 2005 for their contributions to the school as the alumni group marked its 20th anniversary, Premium Times says in a report. The governor highlighted several legacy projects undertaken by the group, including the renovation of the Victori