June 05
Nigeria: Naira Is in Crisis but Cryptocurrency Isn't to Blame - Nigeria Needs Consistent Policy
Nigeria's Securities and Exchange Commission is considering tighter controls to combat illegal trading in digital assets, including cryptocurrencies. The Conversation Africa asked… Read more »
April 16
Kenya: Kenya's Shilling Is Gaining Value, but Don't Expect It to Last - Expert
Shortly after Kenya's 2022 elections, the shilling depreciated rapidly against the US dollar - the country's main currency for international transactions - fuelling a wave of… Read more »
April 07
West Africa: Conditions 'Ripe' for Replacement of Colonialist CFA Franc
At no point in history has the CFA franc - the name of a colonial currency used in west and central African countries belonging to the franc zone - been closer to its demise. Read more »
March 14
Burkina Faso: Burkina Faso, Mali and Niger Hint At a New West African Currency - What It'll Take for It to Succeed
On 11 February 2024, the head of Niger's ruling military junta, General Abdourahmane Tiani, spoke of the possible creation of a common currency with Burkina Faso and Mali. "The… Read more »
January 31
Africa: African Countries Are Struggling With High Debt, Demands to Spend More and Collapsing Currencies
Highly indebted African countries are facing stark trade-offs between servicing expensive debt, supporting high and growing development needs, and stabilising domestic currencies. Read more »
November 27, 2023
Africa: Online Foreign Exchange System Aims to Enable Cross-Border Payments in Local Currencies - What You Need to Know
The high cost of making cross border payments on the African continent has driven governments on the continent to seek options of settling trade and other transactions in local… Read more »
July 19, 2023
Nigeria: eNaira - Nigeria's Digital Currency Has Had a Slow Start - What's Holding It Back
Nigeria was the first country in Africa to roll out a central bank digital currency. The eNaira was launched in October 2021. Read more »
April 05, 2023
Africa: Several African Countries Have a Shortage of U.S. Dollars - Why This Happens and How to Fix It
A number of African countries, including Kenya, Egypt, Zimbabwe, Nigeria, Ghana and Zambia, are currently experiencing shortages of US dollars. The dollar is the dominant currency… Read more »
January 17, 2023
Nigeria: Nigeria's Currency Redesign and Withdrawal Limits - Questionable Policy and Bad Timing
The Central Bank of Nigeria launched new banknotes in November 2022. The new notes came into effect on 15 December 2022. Read more »
November 23, 2022
Africa: As U.S. Dollar Gets Stronger, African Countries Feel the Pain and Have Few Policy Options
The US dollar has been advancing rapidly in response to the Federal Reserve's resolve to keep raising policy rates for longer to regain control of stubbornly high inflation. This… Read more »
September 20, 2022
Africa: Three Reasons Why the US Federal Reserve Bank Holds Africa in Its Hands
Inflation is a global problem. At the end of August, it was 8.3% in the US and 9.1% in the Euro area. It is 20.3% in Nigeria, 25% in Malawi, and over 30% in Ethiopia and Ghana. Read more »