VenturesNow

Standard Chartered shuts operations in 5 African countries, reviews stands in 2. Here’s why

Published

1 year ago

April 16, 2022

Standard Chartered Bank said it has decided to end its operations in seven countries in the Middle East and Africa. According to the Group, the decision is “as set out in its full-year 2021 results presentation to accelerate its strategy, deliver efficiencies, reduce complexity and drive scale.”

The decision was made public in a statement africanewswatch.com retrieved on the company’s website.

“Today the Group announces a set of actions to redirect resources within its Africa and the Middle East (“AME”) region to those areas where it can have the greatest scale and growth potential, in order to better support its clients.” The statement reads.

The decision is however subject to regulatory approval as the Group now intends to exit onshore operations in seven markets in AME. “The seven markets where there will be a full exit of operations are Angola, Cameroon, Gambia, Jordan, Lebanon, Sierra Leone, and Zimbabwe.”

Standard Chartered also reviewed its position in two other African countries. “In Tanzania and Cote d’Ivoire, the Consumer, Private and Business Banking businesses will be exited and the focus will turn solely to CCIB.”

The exit decision is a course for worry, particularly for African countries, many of which largely depends on foreign investment to drive their economy. Exit or lack of foreign investment are developments that threaten fragile economies like Africa. Slamreportsafrica.com reported on Thursday that Ride-hailing company, Uber, has suspended its services in Tanzania as a result of regulations that are not business-friendly which has made its operation in the East African country.

Also recall that Nigeria’s official data source, for one of Africa’s biggest economies earlier this month, released data (Pdf), which indicated that 24 out of 36 states of the Nigerian Federation got no Foreign Direct Investment (FDI) in the year 2021.

As Standard Chartered Group CEO, Bill Winters, said, the group as with other profitably structured companies “focuses on the most significant opportunities for growth while also simplifying business”, African countries most beyond their leaders holidaying across the world in the guise of looking for foreign investors, rather position their economies for growth opportunities for potential investors.

Related Topics:Africa Economy Featured standard bank

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New $700 million loan approved by World Bank for Nigeria

Published

8 hours ago

September 23, 2023

Ifeoluwa Dada

Amid its recent economic challenges, Nigeria has received approval from multilateral lender, World Bank for a fresh $700m loan to enhance adolescent girls’ learning and empowerment.

With the new loan, more money will be available for the Adolescent Girls Initiative for Learning and Empowerment, a project that is already underway.

The Director-General of the Debt Management Office (DMO), Ms. Patience Oniha, in January, disclosed that the country’s total debt stock may hit N77 trillion by the end of President Muhammadu Buhari’s administration on May 29, 2023

The World Bank, in a statement, said it had “approved additional financing of $700m for Nigeria to scale up the Adolescent Girls Initiative for Learning and Empowerment programme whose goal is to improve secondary education opportunities among girls in targeted states.

“The additional financing will scale up project activities from the current seven states to eleven additional states and increase the targeted beneficiaries to include out-of-school girls, those who are married, and those who have disabilities.”

The statement added, “In the seven AGILE programme implementing states – Borno, Ekiti, Kaduna, Kano, Katsina, Kebbi, and Plateau – the number of girls in secondary schools has increased from about 900,000 to over 1.6 million.

“Under the programme, over 5,000 classrooms have been renovated and over 250,000 eligible girls have received scholarships.

“The AGILE programme has supported the construction and rehabilitation of WASH facilities in secondary schools and the installation of computers and solar panels which make attending school more convenient and conducive for both girls and boys. Life skills, systems strengthening, and advocacy are other key aspects of the program which address social norms impeding girls’ education.

“Closing the gender disparities in economic empowerment by ensuring girls have access to education and skills is vital for Nigeria’s growth and economic prosperity,” said Shubham Chaudhuri, the World Bank’s country director for Nigeria

“Nigeria’s working population will soon be one of the youngest and largest around the world, which means that investing in adolescent girls is imperative when addressing overall economic prospects and growth.”

Despite the recent removal of fuel subsidies, Nigeria’s public finance is currently affected by dwindling oil prices and industrial-scale crude oil theft.

VenturesNow

South Korea eyes Nigerian Lithium as global battery demand rises

Published

1 day ago

September 22, 2023

Ifeoluwa Dada

Nigeria’s Ministry of Solid Minerals Development on Thursday revealed that the South Korean government had indicated interest in lithium deposits from Nigeria.

The Nigerian government engaged the South Korean government at the Seventh Korea-Africa Economic Co-operation Conference in Busan, South Korea, according to a statement issued by the ministry’s Deputy Director (Information), Alaba Balogun.

Officials from the Ministry of Solid Minerals Development and Oando Mining Company made up the Nigerian delegation at the event, while representatives from the Korean Institute of Geosciences and Mineral Resources and Korean Mines were also present.

A 2006 Memorandum of Understanding between Nigeria and South Korea on investments in the solid minerals sector was revised as part of the engagement, according to the statement.

It stated that the proposed revision to the 2006 MoU “include training of Nigerian mining professionals in Geochemistry, Geophysics, Ore Modelling, Mineral Processing, research, and exploration of critical minerals such as lithium, nickel, cobalt, manganese, and graphite.”

Lithium is a core resource used for the production of batteries. With increases in battery demand, electric vehicles will be a strong driver of lithium consumption in the next decade, and South Korea will be a top global producer of batteries.

The statement added, “KIGAM president, Dr Pyeong Koo-lee, offered to collaborate with Nigeria to explore the large deposits of lithium-bearing pegmatites.

“He said KIGAM has the best technology in lithium ore processing, adding that the beneficiation process can reduce the carbon to improve the grade of the ore.

“Vice President of the state-owned KOMIR, Dr Alex Kwon, expressed interest in overseas mining investment, adding that KOMIR provides technical and financial assistance and investment in the exploration and mining of solid minerals”, it added.

Considering the potential to export mineral resources to the rest of the globe and the need for diversification, the mining and quarrying sector is essential to Nigeria’s growth.

In general, it is claimed that Nigeria is endowed with around forty (40) different types of minerals, including marble, coal, iron ore, gold, silica, lead, zinc, tin ore, manganese, granite, laterite, limestone, among others.

A report by Statista said by 2030, the global demand for lithium is expected to surpass two million metric tons of lithium carbonate equivalent, more than doubling the demand forecast for 2025.