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Following a harmonisation on 1 July of the two versions of the Petroleum Industry Bill (PIB) produced by the Senate and House of Representatives, the ground-breaking legislation now awaits only the assent of President Muhammadu Buhari to come into force; the president remains in London on a medical visit.

Like so many governments, President Nana Akufo-Addo’s administration is struggling with the challenges and contradictions of energy transition in Ghana. Oil and gas (O&G) projects are under pressure, having been seen as a crucial way to boost revenues – which have fed into treasury coffers since the Jubilee field development – and drive power generation and industrial development, and create vital jobs.

The government suspended the operations of 54 non-governmental organisations (NGOs) on 20 August, including the Africa Institute for Energy Governance (Afiego) which had been campaigning on behalf of people affected by the planned East Africa Crude Oil Pipeline (Eacop).

There are further doubts about the progress of major renewables schemes in Algeria – including plans to invited bids for 1GW of solar – after the high-profile energy transition and renewable energies minister Chems-Eddine Chitour was replaced by Ziane Ben Attou.

In an out-of-court settlement to avoid a further public biens mal acquis (ill-gotten goods) scandal, a dispute has been concluded over the penthouse apartment in Biscayne Bay, Miami purchased in the name of the wife of presidential son and international co-operation and public/private partnerships minister Denis-Christel Sassou Nguesso (widely known as Kiki).

In another step towards the promised overhaul of Nigeria’s hydrocarbons industry, President Muhammadu Buhari has appointed the board and management of the soon-to-be incorporated Nigerian National Petroleum Company Ltd (NNPC).

Sudan’s embattled civilian-military government is now two years into a three-year term, but fissures in the uneasy alliance that sees power divided between Prime Minister Abdullah Hamdok and Transitional Sovereign Council head General Abdel Fattah Al-Burhan are rarely far from the surface.

Many African countries see themselves as green sinks, with substantial forest cover which absorbs carbon from the atmosphere, but for which they receive no compensation. The issue – along with a pact to reduce methane emissions – featured prominently on 2 November, when the leaders of more than 100 countries committed to end deforestation by 2030;

General Abdel-Fattah Burhan’s 25 October coup to depose his government partner (and key western ally) Prime Minister Abdullah Hamdok dismantled their carefully crafted civilian-military Transitional Council two years into its three-year term. It brought crowds onto the streets and consternation to Sudan’s friends in Washington, Paris and the region – although the empowering of the military/security elite is a less troubling prospect for authoritarian stakeholders such as Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates and Russia.

Despite a difficult business environment, Burundi offers possibilities for the transition minerals market. London Stock Exchange-listed Rainbow Rare Earths is operating one of Africa’s only rare earths mines at Gakara and has another rare earths play at its Phalaborwa project in South Africa.

The election of a new parliament and president for the Federal Government of Somalia (FGS) has already been delayed by one year and the government, led by incumbent president Mohamed Abdullahi Mohamed (‘Farmaajo’) recently delayed the deadline once again.

Ethiopia’s ‘unilateral action’ in starting limited power generation at the Grand Ethiopian Renaissance Dam (Gerd) violates its diplomatic obligations, Egyptian foreign minister Sameh Shoukry told the Council of the League of Arab States on 9 March.

There have been further developments in the government’s efforts to claw back advantageous conditions offered to Chinese investors under the $6bn infrastructure-for-minerals deal agreed with Beijing by ex-president Joseph Kabila Kabange.

As African countries seek to use their resources more productively, cobalt may be a prime example of a natural resource, now only exported as a raw material, that could spur industrialisation. But much depends on whether weak governments in host countries can manage such a transition.

African Development Bank (AfDB) president Donald Kaberuka on 16 October officially opened the AfDB’s External Representation Office (ERO) for Asia in Tokyo AfDB