January 23, 2026 — As the first month of 2026 unfolds, Africa is navigating a complex landscape of rapid industrial realignments, urgent health mandates, and deep-seated security challenges. From the headquarters of the EAC in Arusha to the conflict zones of North Darfur, this brief curates the most significant developments shaping the continent today.
Business & Macroeconomics
South Africa: IDC Moves to Reclaim National Steel
South Africa’s Industrial Development Corporation (IDC) has officially submitted a non-binding bid to acquire the domestic operations of ArcelorMittal. The move follows a period of stagnation where ArcelorMittal struggled to find private suitors for its aging mills. Analysts suggest this state-led intervention aims to stabilize the national supply chain for construction and automotive manufacturing.
Ethiopia: $80 Million Injection for Luxury Tourism
The International Finance Corporation (IFC) is finalizing an $80 million loan to MIDROC Ethiopia. The capital is earmarked for the comprehensive refurbishment of the landmark Sheraton Addis—the city’s first private international hotel—and the development of a new Sheraton-branded property. The project is timed to meet the anticipated surge in business and conference travel as Addis Ababa prepares for the COP32 climate conference.
Kenya: Zenith Bank Secures Strategic Foothold
The Competition Authority of Kenya (CAK) has greenlit Zenith Bank’s 100% acquisition of Paramount Bank. The approval carries a mandatory “employment protection” clause, requiring the Nigerian lender to retain all 78 Paramount employees for at least one year. The deal signals increasing consolidation in East Africa as smaller banks struggle to meet heightened capital requirements.
Climate & Energy
Nigeria: Shell Commits $20 Billion to Deepwater Projects
Following a high-level meeting with Shell CEO Wael Sawan, President Bola Tinubu approved targeted incentives for the “Bonga South West” deepwater project. Shell subsequently signaled plans to invest an additional $20 billion in the project, which aims to boost Nigeria’s crude output to nearly 2 million barrels per day by 2027. The incentives are “ring-fenced,” focusing strictly on new capital and local content delivery.
Geopolitics & Policy
Guinea-Bissau: Controversial Vaccine Trial Suspended
Authorities in Guinea-Bissau have halted a U.S.-funded hepatitis B vaccine trial on newborns following an intense ethics review. The $1.6 million study, funded by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, drew global condemnation for its design, which involved withholding birth-dose vaccines from a control group in a high-burden region. Africa CDC Director-General Jean Kaseya praised the suspension as a victory for “the interests of African people.”
Diplomatic Resurgence: Nigeria Fills Key Western Posts
For the first time in two years, Nigeria has posted ambassadors to its missions in the U.S., UK, and France. Career diplomats Ayodele Oke (France) and Colonel Lateef Are (U.S.) were confirmed this week. The move is seen as an effort to restore full diplomatic clout as Nigeria seeks to renegotiate sovereign debt and attract foreign direct investment.
Security & Conflict
DRC: Life Under the M23 Shadow in Goma
One year after Goma fell to M23 rebel forces, residents describe a city transformed by “oppressive quiet.” Government spokesman Patrick Muyaya confirmed that while basic trade persists, the closure of banks by the Kinshasa government has forced a shift to Rwandan currency in local markets. Security remains precarious, with reports of forced recruitment and evening “cordon and search” operations by rebel units.
Nigeria: Ransom Demand in Motorcycle Units
Gunmen who abducted over 150 worshippers from three churches in Kaduna State have issued an unconventional ransom demand: 17 motorcycles. The kidnappers informed families that the bikes are intended to replace those lost during recent military skirmishes. Tactical teams have been deployed to the Kajuru council area as negotiations stall over the safety of the 177 initial hostages.
Burkina Faso: Al-Qaeda Affiliate Claims 11 Officers
The Jama’at Nusrat al-Islam wal-Muslimin (JNIM) has claimed responsibility for a weekend ambush in Balga that killed at least eleven police officers. Despite the ruling junta’s claims of military progress, the Gourma province remains a volatile hotspot, with ACLED data showing that over half of the country’s decade-long conflict fatalities have occurred in just the last three years.
Human Rights & Health
Sudan: Famine Confirmed in Kordofan
The United Nations has officially confirmed famine conditions in Kadugli, while thousands of families remain trapped without aid in North Darfur. Siege conditions in the valleys of Wadi Qardi have cut off 2,000 families from essential supplies. OCHA warns that a $2.9 billion funding gap for 2026 is currently hampering the response to what is now the world’s largest displacement crisis.
Uganda: Detention of Critics Intensifies
A Ugandan High Court judge rejected a plea to transfer opposition leader Dr. Kizza Besigye from Luzira Prison to a private hospital despite reports of his failing health. Simultaneously, activist Sarah Bireete remains in custody after her bail application was deferred to January 28. Human rights groups allege that these detentions, coupled with a recent internet blackout, are part of a coordinated effort to stifle dissent following the general elections.
East Africa: A Unified Pandemic Shield
The East African Community (EAC) officially launched its inaugural Regional Pandemic Prevention Policy Framework in Arusha. Integrating a “One Health” approach, the framework coordinates surveillance and vaccine procurement across eight partner states to prevent a repeat of the fragmented response seen during the 2020–2022 COVID-19 cycle.
| Priority | Health Policy Focus |
| Cholera | Malawi rolling out 24,000 vaccines in Blantyre amid flood-induced outbreaks. |
| COVID/Mpox | Centralized regional surveillance and data sharing across EAC borders. |
| Diagnostics | Pooled procurement to lower the cost of testing kits for partner states. |
