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In a significant step for Africa’s food future, two of the continent’s major financial organizations have joined forces. The Bank of Agriculture (BOA) and the African Export-Import Bank (Afreximbank) have made a powerful commitment to help Nigeria’s small-scale farmers. At a recent trade meeting in Algeria, they signed an agreement to create a funding program worth up to US$1 billion. This money is meant to help farmers grow more food and sell it more easily.

At least 22 people were killed in Niger’s Tillabéri region on Wednesday when armed men riding motorbikes attacked villages, according to local reports. Most of the victims were attending a baptism ceremony.

Witnesses say the gunmen first opened fire during the baptism, killing 15 people on the spot. As they fled, they shot dead another seven people nearby. Authorities in Niamey confirmed the attack but did not share official numbers.

The High Court in Pretoria has dismissed an appeal from the family of late Zambian president Edgar Lungu, who wanted him to be buried in South Africa. The court ruled that Lungu should be laid to rest in his home country.

Lungu, who led Zambia from 2015 to 2021, died in June at the age of 68 while receiving medical treatment in South Africa. Since then, his remains have been kept in a South African morgue as his family fought legal battles over where he should be buried.

The African farmer is moving from subsistence to business. This message came out strongly at the Intra-African Trade Fair (IATF 2025) in Algiers, where Agro-processing companies from Malawi and Nigeria presented their work.

The National Bank of Malawi PLC joined the exhibition to show how local banks are backing small and medium enterprises (SMEs). The bank is supporting farmers in rice, tea, macadamia, honey, potatoes, and chili processing.

“We finance the whole value chain, from production to processing and finally to market,” said Mr. Chimweme Chijere, Business Development Manager at National Bank of Malawi. He added that African banks must play a big role in food security by giving farmers access to funds and trade tools.

The International Criminal Court (ICC) has begun hearings against Ugandan warlord Joseph Kony, even though he remains at large. This is the first time the ICC has held such proceedings in absentia.

Kony, leader of the Lord’s Resistance Army (LRA), is accused of killing more than 100,000 people and abducting at least 60,000 children during his decades-long insurgency in Uganda and across Central Africa. He faces 39 charges, including murder, rape, torture, enslavement, and sexual slavery.

The Intra-African Trade Fair (IATF 2025) is underway in Algiers, Algeria. The fair started on 4 September and will end on 10 September 2025. It is the 4th edition, bringing together all African countries in one place.

At the previous IATF 2023 held in Cairo, Rwanda faced challenges with packaging. Their products were often more expensive compared to others. This was due to Rwanda’s ban on single-use plastics, which made packaging harder to find.

A fireside chat at the Intra-African Trade Fair (IATF2025) on Saturday brought together two leading voices shaping Africa’s trade landscape; H.E. Wamkele Mene, Secretary-General of the AfCFTA Secretariat, and Prof. Benedict Oramah, outgoing President and Chairman of Afreximbank.

The session, held under the theme “The First Mile to the Future: Reflections on IATF, AfCFTA, and the Power of Partnership,” explored how African partnerships, policy, and finance are driving the continent’s trade transformation.

A new era for Africa’s economy was announced today as leaders, visionaries, and businesses gathered for the Intra-African Trade Fair (IATF) 2025. This wasn’t just a business event; it was a symbol of African unity and the big dreams of the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA).

The opening ceremony was a lively event, attended by Algerian President Abdelmadjid Tebboune and the other heads of state including President of Tunisia Kais Saied, President of Tchad Mahamat Idriss Déby Itno , President Mohamed Ould Ghazouani of Mauritania, and President Daniel Chapo of Mozambique. Their presence, along with representatives from other African countries, showed a shared commitment to bringing the continent closer through business. The IATF has become Africa’s main business meeting place, where plans become real partnerships and deals get made.

ALGIERS - From September 4 to 10, 2025, Algiers is transforming into the central hub of African commerce, hosting the 4th Intra-African Trade Fair (IATF2025). This landmark gathering, more than just a trade event, signals Algeria’s renewed commitment to leading the continent’s economic future. It’s a statement of purpose, a bold move to leverage its historical role in Pan-Africanism to forge new economic bonds across Africa.

While the IATF 2025 spotlights Algeria’s continental ambitions, it also provides a unique stage for powerful bilateral collaborations. A prime example is the budding partnership between Algeria and Rwanda. Though separated by thousands of kilometers, these two nations are finding common ground in their shared vision for an economically integrated Africa.

In a significant step towards achieving Africa’s development goals, Alliance Bioversity International and the Government of Rwanda have strengthened their partnership through a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) signed on August 14, 2025, in Kigali. This collaboration aims to drive progress towards the African Union’s Agenda 2063, a comprehensive plan for the continent’s socio-economic transformation.

According to Dr. Wanjiru Kamau-Rutenberg, Managing Director of of Alliance Bioversity Africa, the alliance’s work is deeply aligned with Agenda 2063 and other key African priorities, such as the Comprehensive Africa Agriculture Development Programme (CAADP).