AGP Executive Report

Critical Infrastructure Security: Senior African officials meeting in Nairobi urged stronger protection of roads, bridges, ports, airports and digital systems as terrorism threats intensify across sub-Saharan Africa. Mining Safety Tech: Hexagon rolled out a Vehicle Intervention System for surface mining, adding wider coverage and improved precision as part of its broader safety stack. Public Funds Accountability: Nigeria’s ANEEJ demanded a refund of over ₦14bn allegedly paid for the Benin–Asaba road, calling for contract and payment transparency after claims that only about 40% of work was completed. Plastic Levy Scrutiny: South Africa’s plastic bag levy has raised R6.56bn, but Treasury says it isn’t ringfenced for environmental programmes, raising questions about impact. Health & Nutrition Research: A new study links eating a handful of nuts daily with lower high-blood-pressure risk. Digital Regulation: South Africa’s ICASA plans probes into OTT services like Netflix and WhatsApp and into telecom pricing, amid affordability concerns. Food & Pharma Supply Chains: Ghana joined Africa CDC’s African Pooled Procurement Mechanism to expand market access for locally made vaccines and medicines. Climate & Energy: Ethiopia says it will scale clean power to boost exports across the East African Power Pool. Cancer Care Capacity: CEANA and UHAS plan a state-of-the-art cancer research and treatment centre in Ghana’s Volta Region.

Surgery Tech: Aga Khan University Hospital in Nairobi says it has carried out East Africa’s first robotic-assisted gallbladder removal, using 3D vision and more flexible instruments to expand access to minimally invasive care. Global Representation: The UN General Assembly adopted “Correct the Map,” backing equal-area world maps (including Equal Earth) to address distortions that make Africa look smaller; the US voted against. Anti-Money Laundering: Kenya is racing to meet FATF requirements to exit the grey list, setting up a multi-agency working group focused on non-profit oversight and transparency. Wildlife & Online Trade: Researchers warn that social media is fueling illegal wildlife trafficking, with thousands of primates and other species offered for sale across major platforms. Finance Innovation: Ghana, Mauritius and Uganda are moving toward shared stablecoin rules and testing, aiming to bring tokenised payments into the mainstream. Energy & Industry: Dangote’s upstream arm targets 1.6bn barrels of oil and plans gas monetisation infrastructure, with drilling expected to begin in December. Biodiversity Governance: South Africa’s CITES trophy export quotas for elephants, rhinos and leopards have been gazetted, reigniting debate over how wildlife is managed and who benefits.

UN World Map Update: The UN General Assembly backed an African-led push to “correct the map,” voting 164–1 to encourage use of Equal Earth projections that show Africa’s true size more accurately, with Togo leading and the US voting against. Aviation Decarbonisation: Cameroon’s Civil Aviation Authority has started a feasibility study on building a national sustainable aviation fuel industry, aiming to cut emissions and help airlines source locally. Energy & Power: Cape Town signed its first long-term power purchase agreements for 70MW of solar electricity from independent producers, targeting cheaper power and reduced Eskom reliance. Health Supply Chain: Uganda’s Dei BioPharma was onboarded as a registered supplier under Africa CDC’s African Pooled Procurement Mechanism for five years. Agri-Food & Investment: Nigeria’s Bacita Sugar exited receivership after KIA Africa secured investor backing, aiming to boost sugar self-sufficiency and jobs. Education & Skills: WASSCE 2026 reports a worrying decline in English performance, prompting calls for urgent remedial action. Tech & Courts: Apple filed in South Africa to stop a company it says is trading counterfeit iPhones seized at OR Tambo. Conservation Tech: South African and regional teams are running wildlife censuses using camera traps and counts to track populations across borders.

Electricity Grids: Africa’s demand is set to surge as population growth, urbanisation and digital services expand loads, but utilities are stuck with high losses and unreliable supply—experts urge faster investment in efficient, digitalised grids. Cash Transfer Accountability: Nigeria’s Atiku Abubakar vows an independent probe into an ₦33.75bn cash transfer scheme after an audit questioned whether funds reached 3.29 million vulnerable households. Child Protection in Conflict: Ghana’s environment/science minister calls for stronger early-warning systems and coordination to prevent children’s recruitment and use in armed conflict. Pharma Investment: Ghanaian drug maker Intravenous Infusions says Mr Eazi bought a 17.31% stake, citing hospital experiences during his mother’s illness. Aviation Growth: Boeing forecasts Africa’s fleet will more than double by 2045, driven by intra-African and Middle East traffic. UN Map Shift: The UN General Assembly backs a move away from Mercator toward Equal Earth, making Africa appear closer to its true size. Health Innovation: A stem-cell implant approach moves toward first-in-human testing for spinal cord injury, aiming to restore movement. Digital Finance Leadership: ZB Bank appoints Arthur Matsaudza as CEO from Oct 1 to accelerate digital transformation. Online Safety Standards: Meta’s US settlement on teen protections is being watched globally, with lessons for African regulators and platforms.

Education & Skills: WAEC released 2026 WASSCE core-subject results, showing English Language A1–C6 at 62.40% and Core Mathematics at 60.75%, with Social Studies highest at 78.04%—plus a multi-year dip in top grades for English and Maths. Digital Infrastructure & Water/Power: South African civil rights groups want a pause on new data centres, citing limited transparency and concerns over water, land and electricity strain as the country positions itself as Africa’s data hub. Global Cartography: The UN General Assembly backed an African-led push to “correct the map,” voting 164–1 to encourage use of the Equal Earth projection so Africa appears closer to its real size; the US was the lone no. Climate Finance for Farmers: IFAD and Equity Group launched ARCAFIM, a $200m East Africa mechanism to expand access to rural climate adaptation funding for smallholders and rural businesses, including women and youth. Health Aid Shift: The US will phase out Namibia’s HIV funding after $45m in 2027, moving to technical cooperation only. AI in Weather: Google DeepMind rolled out WeatherNext 3, aiming for more accurate, more frequently updated forecasts using live satellite data.

Rural Broadband Push Meets Antitrust: South Africa’s biggest telcos, via ACT, are asking the competition watchdog to let rivals share limited planning info to speed up passive infrastructure rollouts in low-density areas. Vehicle Safety Rules Under Scrutiny: Ford Africa backs stronger safety regulations but warns they must be consistent and detailed to avoid price hikes that don’t translate into real protection. Counterfeit Crisis Hits Kids’ Toys: South Africa’s toy and games market is seeing a surge in fake products, with industry estimating about a quarter of sales are counterfeit and noncompliant—raising safety risks for children. Sovereign Wealth Fund Plan: DBSA starts feasibility work that could lead to South Africa’s first sovereign wealth fund, aiming to plug long-term infrastructure and climate financing gaps. Oil and Gas Hunt Gets Industry Support: EnerGeo Alliance argues exploration and seismic surveys should stay on the table while government finalises upstream petroleum rules for regulatory certainty. UN Map Overhaul: The UN General Assembly backs “Correct the Map,” pushing countries to use projections that show Africa’s true relative size; the US opposed. Green Transition Debate: Prof Fatima Denton says Africa must define its own green pathway beyond net-zero slogans, given electricity access and development needs. Digital ID Security: Madagascar advances its national digital ID with new cybercrime legislation and plans to strengthen investigation capacity. AI in Health and Farming: Uganda and Rwanda showcase AI tools for faster disease diagnosis and improved agriculture, including smartphone-linked microscopy for lab-light settings.

Climate & Industry Finance: Nigeria’s NGX-backed N-Zero initiative has started corporate baseline assessments to help firms measure emissions, plan transitions and tap carbon-market opportunities, with 50+ companies engaged and 17 onboarded. Education & Skills: Nigeria opens applications for its Student Venture Capital Grant (Next Moonshot) offering up to ₦50m equity-free to 50 STEM student ventures; WAEC says no WASSCE 2026 paper leaked and points to falling malpractice. Digital Infrastructure & Water: South African civil rights groups urge a pause on new data centres, citing unclear transparency over water and power use as the country pushes to be Africa’s data hub. Science & Space Policy: Namibia is drafting space science legislation to boost R&D and possible commercialisation after adopting its first space policy in 2021. Solar Boom (Hidden): A new analysis finds Africa’s PV growth is spreading fast, but much of it is “hidden” in distributed solar not captured in official stats. Security Tech: Namibia launches a Global Cybersecurity Initiative to connect governments and businesses across Africa, aiming to scale to 52 countries by 2029. Science Discovery: Fossils from Canada’s Yukon suggest the “American cheetah” was actually a puma relative that adapted to mostly fish.

HIV Manufacturing Shake-up (South Africa): Aspen Pharmacare has dropped plans to locally produce Gilead’s HIV prevention injection lenacapavir, saying government won’t guarantee purchase volumes, and is instead eyeing Merck’s experimental pill alimatravir—raising concerns for supply security in a country with the world’s biggest HIV burden. Consumer Tech Price War (South Africa): NielsenIQ reports Chinese brands are intensifying price pressure in appliances and consumer electronics as South Africans stretch replacement cycles; the T&D market fell 5.8% in value in H1 2026. Travel Booking Habits (South Africa): A study finds South Africans still prefer web browsers for flights and hotels (12.8%) versus apps (5.1%), a sign that “app-first” strategies may miss how people actually buy travel. Digital Infrastructure Boost (Africa): WIOCC secured $300m to expand open-access fibre, data centres and new subsea cable assets, aiming to close Africa’s connectivity gap for cloud and AI. Climate Risk Alert (Southern Africa): Eswatini braces for a very strong El Niño season (Oct 2026–Mar 2027), with a high chance of historic conditions and warmer, drier weather. Auto Skills Training (Ghana): Hyundai and KOICA will invest 5 billion won over five years to build and run two vehicle repair training centres, targeting jobs and youth opportunities. Regional Integration Stress (West Africa): Nigeria’s media adviser says Burkina Faso, Mali and Niger’s ECOWAS exit has weakened protocols for free movement and integration, contributing to a broader regional crisis. AI Brand Intelligence (Nigeria): FlashNarrative launched an AI platform that monitors local-language media and social chatter to flag reputational risks and emerging narratives.

Sharpeville Justice Push: Survivors of South Africa’s 1960 Sharpeville massacre and relatives have filed a class-action lawsuit seeking to overturn the 1961 Indemnity Act that blocked compensation claims for more than six decades. Food Systems Investment: African leaders meeting in Kigali called for urgent action and bigger public-private funding to turn agri-food pledges into results, focusing on seeds, fertiliser, irrigation, mechanisation, tech and markets. Security Partnerships: Digicloud Africa is recruiting and onboarding managed security providers to distribute Google Security Operations across the continent, aiming to lower the barrier for dedicated security practices. Digital Health & Rights: Guinea hosted a regional conference on sexual and reproductive health and rights for adolescents and young people, stressing education, protection and access to care amid crises and funding cuts. Fuel Cost Shock: South Africa says the Middle East conflict has added about R56.3bn to fuel import costs since February, underlining exposure to global oil disruptions. Blockchain Funding: Africa Blockchain Festival launched a 2026 fellowship to connect AI/blockchain founders with investors and mentorship in Nairobi.

Digital Infrastructure Boost: WIOCC secured a $300M investment from Africa Finance Corporation and Vision Invest to expand open-access fibre, data centres and subsea connectivity across Africa, with AI-ready infrastructure in focus. AI & Telecom Capacity: MTN Digital Infrastructure partnered with a UAE data-centre investor to build “AI-ready” platforms, initially targeting South Africa and Nigeria. Payments & Cross-Border Trade: Reeple says it’s helping African SMEs move money across 50+ countries faster and cheaper, tackling FX and settlement delays. Ride-Hailing Exit: Uber will wind down ride-hailing in Nigeria and Uganda after 12 years, citing rising costs, regulation and security pressures. Public Health: WHO warns DRC’s Ebola outbreak has surpassed 3,000 deaths, urging faster tracking of transmission chains. Child Safety Online: UNICEF estimates 20M internet-using children in 21 countries faced online sexual exploitation or abuse, with social media driving most cases. Climate Watch: Oceans hit record heat and El Niño is intensifying, raising risks of extreme weather and coastal impacts. HIV Prevention in SA: Western Cape rollout of lenacapavir for HIV prevention grows amid supply constraints.

Energy & Power Infrastructure: South Africa’s Eskom RT&D Centre is being positioned as a “heart and brain” for energy-transition tech, while a SIDSSA panel stressed the real bottleneck is distribution and municipal-level execution, not just new generation. Renewables Financing: Yellow Door Energy and Nedbank CIB reached financial close on the 49MWp Lion Thorn solar park, with construction starting in September 2026 and commissioning expected in 2028. Distributed Solar Push: Odyssey Energy Solutions raised $74m to scale distributed renewable energy financing across Africa and beyond. Digital Connectivity: Orange partnered on the ReuNION submarine cable linking La Réunion to boost resilience and lower latency. Cybersecurity: Westcon-Comstor will distribute SonarQube across EMEA and APAC. Health Research Funding: South Africa’s HIV surveillance and genetic testing work is being squeezed by US funding cuts, forcing researchers to find replacement money. Governance & Trust: Stats SA found many South Africans don’t report crime because they believe police won’t act. Politics & Tech Systems: The IEC rejected ANC claims of “technical glitches” after missed municipal candidate-list deadlines. Sports & Identity: Gabon captain Aubameyang says he’s stepping away from the national team ahead of qualifiers after how authorities handled him.

Agro-Industry Push: Zimbabwe’s University of Zimbabwe says its “Heritage-Based Education 5.0” drive is now producing 4,000 litres of cooking oil daily, 110,000 chickens per cycle and 25,000 loaves of bread, as leaders tour its innovation and production hub. Regional Energy Security: Mozambique and Zimbabwe plan to launch the second phase of the Beira-Feruka pipeline upgrade, lifting pumping capacity from 3m to 5m cubic metres and boosting fuel supply across SADC. Labour Tensions: Sibanye says it will implement its “last, best, final” contract offer after a third rejection, with a union strike set for Sept. 3. Digital Money Growth: Kenya’s Upesi surpasses Sh20bn in cumulative cross-border transfers, reflecting rising demand for faster, more secure digital payments. Public Health Research: A new study estimates snakebite’s global toll is far higher than previously tracked, with sub-Saharan Africa carrying the biggest burden. AI in Practice: South Africa’s “AI paradox” debate grows as firms invest heavily but struggle to turn AI projects into real earnings. Governance & Delivery: South Africa’s IEC rejects claims of extra time for party candidate lists, stressing deadlines stand.

Somalia–Yemen Security Links: A Wall Street Journal investigation says Yemen’s Houthis have moved beyond arms middlemen, sending a delegation to al-Shabaab’s southern Somalia stronghold for weapons supply, drone training and instruction for fighters. Wildlife Tech in the Congo Basin: Vertically stacked infrared camera traps in the DRC revealed 47 mammal types and how animals use different forest layers, strengthening conservation planning. Nigeria Digital Infrastructure Push: Nigeria targets $750m in private cloud investment and plans a 90,000km fibre rollout to expand data and cloud services nationwide. Cyber Resilience Deal: Mindware signed with Veeam to distribute backup and recovery tools across the Middle East and Africa, aiming to improve recovery after ransomware. Solar for Communities: All On and Energise Africa invested $4m to expand solar mini-grids in 19 Nigerian communities, targeting nearly 100,000 people. Health Supply Chains with AI: A SAPICS conference report highlights AI cutting forecasting, procurement and invoice delays in Ethiopia, Nigeria and Kenya. Energy Accountability in Court: South Africa’s civil society continues using litigation to block and challenge major energy projects, including a recent court halt to Wild Coast exploration. Bafana Coaching Update: Pitso Mosimane confirmed his staff but says an assistant coach role is still being filled ahead of 2027 qualifiers. SCO Tech and Security: SCO leaders adopted the Bishkek Declaration to deepen cooperation on security, trade and technology.

Traditional Medicine Push: WHO and African Traditional Medicine Day speakers urged more investment in research, regulation and innovation to help traditional care support universal health coverage. Science Park Diplomacy: Taiwan proposed funding an Eswatini science and technology park to deepen ties and expand Taiwanese business in Africa. Food Systems Focus: AGRA says Africa’s food systems should be judged by what farmers earn, warning that progress won’t stick without better transformation of agrifood value chains. Energy Affordability: Cape Town signed two 20-year deals to buy 70MW of cheaper power from independent solar producers, aiming to cut reliance on Eskom and stabilize prices. Solar Skills Gap: Lagos’ shift from generators to solar is constrained by a workforce shortage, with only 58% of technicians trained for solar work. Health & Safety Warning: Kenya’s mitumba secondhand clothing boom is also raising public health concerns, as some textile waste may carry disease-causing microbes. Wild Coast Oil-Gas: South Africa’s court ruling on seismic testing is framed as a procedural setback, not the end of offshore exploration, as industry argues for missed jobs and GDP potential. Digital Infrastructure: Nigeria plans $750m in private cloud investment and a 90,000km fibre rollout to build a more sovereign AI and digital services ecosystem.

Gender-Based Violence: South Africa’s first national Gender-Based Violence and Femicide prevalence study says 7.3 million women (18+) have experienced physical violence, as the newly formed National Council on GBVF holds its inaugural meeting in Pretoria. Public Safety Tech: Cape Town launched a Joint Public Safety Operations Centre, pooling emergency services, SAPS and traffic officials, with real-time information sharing and more body-worn cameras aimed at tackling violent crime. HIV Care Gaps: Women still carry a disproportionate HIV burden in South Africa, while treatment collection shortfalls in provinces like KwaZulu-Natal and Gauteng show persistent gaps despite progress. Cybercrime: A Midlands State University computer science student in Zimbabwe is accused of hacking CABS and stealing over US$1.1 million via fraudulent card and ZIPIT transactions. Open-Source Software: LibreOffice 26.8 rolls out with improved right-to-left support, script handling for N’Ko and Adlam, and a new paragraph layout algorithm. AI in Healthcare: New analysis highlights how AI is reshaping pathology services toward automated diagnostics, backed by rising investment and regulatory approvals. Climate Finance: Niger State unveiled a Climate Change Policy and Action Plan plus a climate development and investment platform to move projects toward bankability.

G20 Finance Track: Finance ministers and central bank governors meet in Asheville, with growth, fair trade, supply-chain resilience and sovereign debt on the agenda as the US pushes “back to basics.” Nigeria Ports Boost: Nigeria’s ports logged a Q2 2026 surge—cargo throughput up 12.3% and ocean-going vessels up 14.4%—as reforms improve capacity and competitiveness. South Africa Procurement Scandal: Allegations of a R154m land deal and a R67m “facilitation fee” highlight deep problems in public procurement, now under Hawks scrutiny. Trade & Digital Links: Nigeria and Canada plan to deepen trade ties around culture and investment, while telecoms warn that power and fibre damage are driving up operating costs. Health & Food Security Debate: UNICEF data challenges Gaza famine claims, pointing instead to a new concern: rising obesity among young children. Science & Agriculture Tech: Chulalongkorn researchers developed a synthetic boar scent to trigger estrus in pig breeding, aiming to cut disease risk from direct boar contact. Climate-Ready Cities: Lagos property leaders are urged to build flood resilience into estate design from day one. Maritime & Energy: Colombo Port climbs into the world’s top 20 as container volumes jump, while Nigeria’s refining push is framed as a path to broader industrial growth.