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UK independent Savannah Energy is moving forward with a $1.25bn plan to acquire a string of upstream assets in South Sudan from Malaysia’s Petronas – a rare case of an IOC stepping into one of Africa’s most challenging political and economic environments, writes James Gavin.

The rapid development of five lithium projects bodes well for Zimbabwe’s potential as a minerals exporter and demonstrates China’s central role in mineral developments, as Harare takes steps to promote domestic processing industries. But serious governance concerns remain over artisanal mining and customs-evading exports.

South Africa’s relations with the United Arab Emirates have soured after the Ministry of Justice and Correctional Services said it was only told in early April about a mid-February UAE court ruling that Atul and Rajesh Gupta would not be extradited to face charges of money laundering, fraud and corruption. It is another twist in the ‘state capture’ scandal that scarred Jacob Zuma’s presidency and whose ramifications continue to this day.

President Bola Ahmed Tinubu has named Olayemi Cardoso to head the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN). Cardoso was Lagos state’s economic planning and budget commissioner from 1999 until 2005, when Tinubu was governor. He is the latest member of that team to be appointed to high office. Cardaso fills the vacancy left by Godwin Emefiele’s suspension and arrest in June, as the ex-governor was closely linked to disastrous policies enacted by outgoing president Muhammadu Buhari’s government.

Nigeria has succeeded in overturning a $6.6bn arbitral award made against it in 2017, with the High Court in London ruling the award had been obtained by fraud. The High Court ruled that British Virgin Islands-registered Process and Industrial Development (P&ID) had engaged in “the most severe abuses of the arbitral process” in winning its 2017 case against the Nigerian government over a failed gas supply and processing deal.

The World Bank Group has debarred two hydroelectric power equipment arms of Voith Hydro Holding, for what it called collusive and corrupt practices connected to projects in Pakistan and Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC).

Were projects assessed solely on their economic and social impact, the East African Crude Oil Pipeline (Eacop) and Lake Albert would probably be widely praised. Uganda needs both the energy and investment the projects bring. But the projects have drawn fierce criticism from environmental campaigners and NGOs, in Uganda and beyond in a concerted, high-profile campaign that has registered successes.

Félix Tshisekedi has won a second presidential term and his coalition a big parliamentary majority in Democratic Republic of Congo. But victory comes in the face of complaints from his opponents, unease among allies and a toxic blend of rebellions, insolvency and social discontent.

International oil companies in Gabon have adopted a ‘business as usual’ approach since General Brice Clotaire Oligui Nguema’s coup last August, as expressed by Vaalco Energy’s chief executive George Maxwell in an interview with African Energy. But the government’s decision to step in and use the state-owned Gabon Oil Company to acquire Assala Energy – thus sidelining French independent Maurel & Prom which had planned to buy the business – points to a more activist approach from the recently-installed authorities in Libreville.

Comoros President Azali Assoumani has secured yet another term in office through a disputed election, undermining prospects for progress and stability in the small island state where nearly half the population live in poverty and where a shortage of electricity is holding back development, writes Tonderayi Mukeredzi.

The strongmen in charge of Burkina Faso, Mali and Niger plan to quit the regional Ecowas bloc, as Russia further enhances its military/business relationship with the Sahel troika and Central African Republic. While Niger believes its oil production could increase fivefold as its export pipeline to Benin starts up, and the Sahel states made significant progress in developing solar generation capacity in 2023, shifting political sands mean the largely western-funded PV boom is unlikely to be repeated, and the focus of China and others on resources plays leaves a big gap in international support for other sectors, writes Marc Howard.

Nearly all of South Africa’s climate finance is being provided from local sources, while inflows from international funders remain very low, a new Presidential Climate Commission report shows. While more funds have flowed into Africa’s largest greenhouse gas emitter in recent years, these resources remain insufficient compared to the extent of the actions required to adapt and mitigate the impacts of climate change.

With elections looming later this year, under-pressure President Cyril Ramaphosa used his 8 February State of the Nation Address to extol the ruling African National Congress party’s successes since the end of apartheid. However, his administration’s failure to deal with key election concerns – the electricity crisis, high unemployment, poverty and crime – could lead the ANC into uncharted territory come polling day, writes Tonderayi Mukeredzi.

Primera Gold, a joint venture between the Democratic Republic of Congo and United Arab Emirates, aims to more than quadruple the amount of gold it exports from DRC this year, despite criticism from a UN panel.

President Macky Sall’s decision to postpone the 25 February presidential election until 15 December exacerbated an already poisonous atmosphere in Senegal. His 19 February decision to reverse that decision should lead to an election being held very soon, but political tensions will persist. African Energy’s Risk Management Report focuses on political risk indicators in a country that has long been favoured by donors and investors, and whose natural resources industries are booming as offshore oil and natural gas exports beckon. With attention firmly directed towards gas-to-power development, most other aspects of electricity industry reform, such as the unbundling of utility Senelec and introduction of wheeling have been left on hold – and further delays are likely.