AGP Executive Report

Satellite Connectivity: Royal Air Maroc becomes Africa’s first airline to equip its fleet with Elon Musk’s Starlink Wi‑Fi, rolling out in stages after a contract signed Aug 4 and aiming for full coverage by 2027. Energy Finance: Morocco is named among 13 priority markets for the AfDB-backed African Energy Transition Fund, targeting $200m in commitments to back renewables and low-carbon infrastructure. AI Governance Gap: A UAE study finds AI spending jumped 105% year-on-year, but execution lags, with organisations scoring 48/100 on AI maturity—highlighting problems in workflows, talent and scaling agentic AI safely. AI Security at Scale: Cloudflare will push its vision for a more secure, AI-driven internet at LEAP 2026, stressing identity, permissions and governance for AI agents. EV Charging Upgrade: South Africa’s GridCars launches a R40m programme to modernise and expand its DC fast-charging network with new 120kW dual-connector chargers. Health Research: A pooled analysis finds men develop tuberculosis more often than women, driven mainly by higher infection rates rather than differences after infection. Digital Skills: Meta and Nigeria’s communications ministry launch AI Academy Nigeria with a free six-week bootcamp, Meta Blueprint scholarships and up to $5,000 ad credits. Fact Check: A TikTok claim that Ghanaian socialite “Abu Trica” got bail is false; the video was unrelated.

Cerebral Palsy Care Story: A South African mother’s life changed in 1995 when her baby was diagnosed with cerebral palsy, highlighting how early milestones and clinic referrals can shape outcomes. Emerging Markets Finance: Investors are returning to emerging-market debt as reforms and local capital buffers soften shocks, even as war and rate fears linger. ECOWAS Planning: ECOWAS held consultative talks to strengthen tourism business associations and ran a workshop to cost its 2027–2029 medium-term expenditure framework. Education Integrity: WAEC faces growing scrutiny over alleged grading anomalies in the 2026 WASSCE as CBT and serialisation rollouts raise questions. Defense Tech Funding: Nigeria’s Terra Industries raised $52m to scale autonomous security systems for mines, power and other critical infrastructure. Digital Trust for Commerce: Arigo launched MyArigo to verify African businesses and curb fraud in e-commerce. Connectivity Leap: Airtel Africa moved Starlink Mobile to commercial service in DRC, with plans for wider rollout. Policy for Cloud: Nigeria unveiled a National Digital Cloud Policy targeting $750m investment and more compliant local hosting. Food Security: UN SOFI reports 645m people faced chronic hunger in 2025, with 2.69bn unable to afford a healthy diet.

Ebola Update (DR Congo): The DRC Ebola outbreak has become the second-most lethal on record and the deadliest in the country’s history, with deaths surpassing the 2018–2020 toll as the virus spreads about five times faster than earlier outbreaks at the same stage. Digital Health & Infrastructure (Kenya-UAE): Kenya’s President William Ruto launched a National Ambulance Dispatch Centre in Nairobi, as Kenya and the UAE deepen healthcare cooperation beyond pledges toward long-term investment in vaccines and primary care. Ag-Tech for Climate Resilience (Kenya): Kakuzi Plc is modernising farming with AI, machine learning and drone surveillance, including an AI optical sorting system for macadamia quality control. Connectivity (DRC): Airtel Africa commercially launched SpaceX Starlink Mobile in the DRC, extending coverage beyond conventional towers. AI Data Readiness (EMEA): A survey says most EMEA firms are reworking data infrastructure for AI, citing governance and compliance hurdles. Desertification Policy (COP17): UNCCD COP17 opens in Mongolia under “Restoring Land. Restoring Hope,” targeting drought resilience and land restoration funding. Startups & Funding (Nigeria): Wema Bank opened applications for Hackaholics 2026, offering funding, mentorship and accelerator access for African innovators. Renewables Pipeline (South Africa): Research says South Africa is on track for a record 2026 year of renewable power additions, with major IPP projects already entering commercial operation. Trade Facilitation (IGAD/AfCFTA): IGAD and AfCFTA push Mutual Recognition Agreements to cut duplicate border checks for agricultural goods. Business Growth (Africa): Moove became Africa’s latest unicorn after a $250m Series C valued at $2.1bn.

Satellite Connectivity: Airtel Africa and Starlink have launched Africa’s first commercial satellite-to-mobile service in the DRC, letting compatible phones access light-data apps and SMS in non-terrestrial areas. Innovation for Youth: Nigeria’s NASENI kicks off its FutureMakers virtual hackathon for 60 young innovators across six zones, with ₦1.5m, ₦1m and ₦500k zone prizes and a ₦5m grand prize for top winners. AI Upskilling: FATE Foundation and AIMS, with Google.org funding of $1.1m, will train educators and students across 10 universities in Nigeria, Ghana, Kenya and South Africa, aiming to embed advanced AI into STEM curricula. Industrial Policy: Nigeria says China’s expanded zero-tariff access for African goods could accelerate industrialisation and value-added exports, shifting ties from “aid and loans” to trade and production. Local Defence Manufacturing: DICON-D7G plans local production of armoured vehicles and anti-drone systems via a partnership with Eagles International, targeting technology transfer and new jobs. Public Health: DR Congo’s Ebola outbreak has become the deadliest in the country’s history, with 2,325 deaths and 4,945 confirmed cases reported. Climate Markets: Nigeria backs ECOWAS moves to set up a regional carbon market, framing it as a chance for cooperation and investment despite low emissions but high vulnerability.

Elections & Integrity: Nigeria’s INEC has closed its Osun 2026 Situation Room after declaring Ademola Adeleke winner, while Yiaga Africa says results match polling-unit estimates but flags widespread vote-buying concerns and calls for BVAS audits and tighter security ahead of 2027. AI in Healthcare: South Africa healthtech startup Bixie Technologies reports progress on an app-based AI pilot for diagnosis and treatment support, with limited early users and continued FasterCapital EquityPilot validation. Connectivity Tech: Airtel Africa and Starlink have launched Africa’s first satellite-to-phone service in DRC, extending coverage to remote areas. Procurement Professionalisation: Kenya has been named the CIPS East Africa hub, aiming to professionalise procurement across 13 countries. Energy & Health Access: Nigeria’s ICRC is pushing faster PPP approvals to unlock private finance for infrastructure, while a separate report highlights a solar-powered ambulance concept for off-grid care. Culture & Heritage: Zimbabwe’s mbira gets fresh attention in Hope Masike’s “Mbira Mberi,” framing the instrument as living heritage.

Digital Inclusion & Skills: Kenya flagged off its national motocross team for the FIM Africa MXoAN in Namibia, while Zimbabwe’s Gwayi Valley is using a solar-powered learning hub to swap snares for coding and AI skills. Telecom & Connectivity: Airtel Africa and Starlink launched satellite-to-phone service in the DRC, marking a first for an African operator. Health Tech & Cancer Care: Nigeria is targeting local assembly, servicing and technology transfer for radiotherapy and imaging equipment by 2030 through a China partnership. Governance & Data: Tunisia reviewed progress on digital transformation to cut corruption and improve public services, and Uganda pushed to host the East African Statistics Bureau. Regional Integration: Zimbabwe urged SADC to turn integration promises into tangible citizen benefits as South Africa takes over the bloc’s leadership. Energy & Industry: Gabon moved to end raw manganese exports to boost local processing, while South Africa debates industrial policy and reindustrialisation. Sports & Culture: Algeria won WAFCON bronze after penalties; Globacom’s story highlights indigenous tech ambition in Nigeria.

Digital Finance & AI: Kenya will host Africa Blockchain Festival 2026 in Nairobi (Oct 15–17), bringing blockchain, AI, regulators and investors to push a “permanent digital economy” agenda. Crypto Regulation: Nigeria’s SEC admitted three more crypto firms into its Accelerated Regulatory Incubation Programme, bringing ARIP participants to 14. Telecom Policy: South Africa’s Icasa walked back a “collusion” hint about mobile giants, saying it found no such pattern and is sticking to evidence-based regulation. Public Health: A fast-moving Ebola outbreak in DR Congo has killed over 2,000, raising fears of spread into neighboring regions. Wildlife Science: South Africa and Botswana’s Kgalagadi lion census is underway, led by a team including women field technicians and researchers. Health Research Recognition: UCT paediatric cardiologist Prof Liesl Zühlke won the L’Oréal-UNESCO For Women in Science Africa/Arab States award for work on childhood cardiovascular disease. Ports & Investment: Transnet invited proposals to lease two Durban logistics sites for up to 25 years, aiming to boost port capacity and efficiency. AI & Governance in Elections: Nigeria’s Yiaga Africa plans to use AI plus Parallel Vote Tabulation to independently scrutinise results in Osun’s governorship election. Agriculture Tech: Scientists in Morocco developed a slower-release potassium fertiliser from syenite rock, offering a local alternative to costly imported potash.

Agritech & food security: Ethiopia is getting a faster wheat-blast diagnostic test that can confirm infection in about 90 minutes, helping surveillance before the fungal disease spreads. Solar for the grid gap: South Africa’s iShack project delivered solar panels, batteries and lighting to 2,000+ shacks in Enkanini, with residents trained to install and maintain systems. AI & finance rails: Mastercard’s $1.8bn BVNK deal signals stablecoins moving from experiments to payments infrastructure, including settlement options linked to African access. Energy & industry investment: Chery’s purchase of Nissan’s Rosslyn factory in South Africa points to more Chinese EV production on the continent. Higher education & innovation: Zimbabwe’s University of Zimbabwe graduation highlighted research and an entrepreneurial push, with 7,132 graduates and 75 registered start-ups. Governance & accountability: Whistleblowers tied to Prasa looting attempts make a last Constitutional Court bid, seeking recognition and reinstatement. Plastics research: A Malaysia-led study reports treated polyethylene and polypropylene can fully break down in soil within two years without producing microplastics. Trade policy impact: Nigeria-China trade jumped to $18bn in H1 after China’s zero-tariff policy for African countries.

Digital Skills & Jobs: A new World Bank report warns South Africa’s digital skills pipeline is structurally misaligned with what employers need, leaving graduates stuck despite many vacancies. Public Safety Tech: South Africa’s body-worn camera rollout is still in procurement, with no confirmed timeline; R14m was allocated but KwaZulu-Natal officers aren’t equipped yet. Regional Integration & Law: Uganda is being sued at the East African Court of Justice over its Protection of Sovereignty Act, with civil society groups arguing it undermines EAC treaty obligations. Tax Rules for Multinationals: African states are pushing to close profit-shifting loopholes through UN negotiations on clearer transfer pricing rules. Maternal Health: Rwanda’s obstetrics conference calls for stronger investment and better care quality to cut preventable maternal deaths. AI & Innovation Events: Nairobi is set to host the Africa Blockchain Festival 2026, spotlighting blockchain and AI for a “permanent digital economy.” Wildlife Research: Camera-trap work suggests sand cats may have a sizable population in Qatar, improving knowledge of the elusive species’ habitat. Climate & Water Risk: South Africa faces El Niño “water risk” driven by heat-amplified evaporation, even when dams look full. Women in Tech: A pan-African GirlCode hackathon backs women innovators in software and real-world problem solving.

AI Governance: China says it’s turning AI governance principles into concrete action at the 2026 World AI Conference, stressing security and human-led development. Energy & Industry: South Africa’s Eskom is pitching a decade-long electricity pipeline to localise manufacturing and broaden black business participation, while experts warn that sudden import tariff hikes could raise renewable costs and slow SAREM. Cybersecurity: Researchers detail AmnesiaStealer, a Rust-based macOS info stealer that hijacks Chromium browsers to grab session data. Water, Power & AI: A UN University report warns AI data centres are straining electricity, water and land resources across sub-Saharan Africa. Solar Supply Chains: Africa’s solar build-out is growing, but most panels still depend on Chinese-made cells, even as countries push for local assembly. Public Sector Tech: The UN is tendering an AI + VR platform in Rabat to train counter-terrorism investigators in ethical interview techniques. Health & Food Systems: Studies flag manipulated cocoa sustainability records in Côte d’Ivoire and a new approach to make zoo lions behave more like wild counterparts via feast-and-fast feeding. Mining Watch: Tanzania’s uranium prospects draw fresh investor attention as fieldwork ramps up around Madaba.

AI & Digital Economy: Türkiye is set to spotlight its fast-growing tech and AI push at GITEX Ai Türkiye 2026, with its ICT market projected to rise from US$38bn (2026) to US$58bn (2031), backed by US$3bn for data centres and AI, a target of 1 gigawatt of data-centre capacity by 2030, and plans to train 10,000 advanced AI specialists plus 100,000 AI application professionals. Horn of Africa Geopolitics: Eritrea’s Red Sea ports and location near Bab-al-Mandab are drawing fresh attention as regional powers and the US coordinate approaches to security and trade challenges. Supply Chain Resilience: A new focus at SAPICS 2026 argues that disruption is now the norm, so logistics leaders are shifting from pure efficiency to proactive, coordinated resilience. Health Research in Africa: A major study reports Alzheimer’s blood biomarkers can differ across populations, with work using samples from Nigeria and Tanzania highlighting the need for globally reliable tests. South Africa Jobs Pressure: Impact investor Chris Hart says unemployment reflects weak growth and poor job creation, arguing the economy is “not big enough to accommodate everybody.” Diagnostics Market Watch: Multiple reports point to continued growth in rapid tests and lab tools, including lateral flow assays and readers.

Energy & Grids: South Africa’s Chinese-backed US$122bn energy expansion aims to add 105GW and build 14,500km of transmission lines by 2039, pushing the focus from generation to resilient power networks. SME Trade Boost: Nigeria’s dtic, Standard Bank, MTN and DHL roll out GoTrade-style support to help Sub-Saharan SMEs scale, export and adopt digital tools, with DHL pledging €300m into Africa by 2030. AI in Local Languages: Chinese AI firm iFlytek is deepening South-South cooperation to build large language models for local languages, using Safaricom’s Kenya demos as a showcase. Health Research: A large international study finds men are more likely to catch TB than women, pointing to exposure gaps rather than biology alone. Cancer Care Push (Nigeria): Nigeria’s health ministry seeks to strengthen cancer prevention, early detection and treatment capacity through partnerships and expanded infrastructure. Tech for Jobs (MTN): MTN launches an AI-enabled Job Board on its Skills Academy to match learners to roles and courses across 11 markets. Petroleum Market Rules (Nigeria): LCFE gets NMDPRA licensing to trade and clear petroleum liquids, aiming for better price discovery and transparency. Eclipse Science & Public Interest: Spain’s total solar eclipse sparked new sky-and-corona experiments along the path of totality.

Ebola Emergency: East Africa is turning to AI as Ebola cases surge, with the EAC launching an AI innovation programme in Arusha to train young innovators to build tools for detection, preparedness and response as DRC and Uganda report thousands of cases and deaths. SME Trade Boost: South Africa’s DHL-led GoTrade partnership brings together logistics, finance and telecoms (DHL Express, dtic, Standard Bank and MTN) to cut cross-border barriers for SMEs and help them scale exports across Africa. Digital Infrastructure Wins: Tanzania’s Wingu Africa picked up two TEHAMA Awards for its technology hub and connectivity solutions, highlighting demand for secure, carrier-neutral data centre capacity. Healthcare Logistics: Zipline is pushing deeper into Nigeria’s healthcare supply chain with autonomous delivery to address persistent gaps in getting medicines and vaccines to facilities. E-commerce Funding: Jumia secured $50m in equity co-led by IFC and Axian to expand last-mile delivery, warehouses and JumiaPay across more African markets. Education Finance Reform (Kenya): Kenya tabled a bill to replace HELB with a new tertiary education funding authority that merges existing funds and introduces a savings-based model for parents. Solar Eclipse Tourism: Europe’s total solar eclipse is driving a surge in travel and viewing demand, with premium experiences and packed skies drawing researchers and tourists.

Ebola Response: DR Congo’s Ebola outbreak has surged past 2,000 deaths and 4,381 confirmed cases in under three months, with Africa CDC warning it’s far outpacing past outbreaks and calling for faster, community-led action. University Innovation: Nigeria’s UNIBEN launched a Campus Green Belt and a broader innovation ecosystem, using digital tools and student-led monitoring to tackle climate and sustainability challenges. Satellite Data for Development: Rwanda and Planet Labs rolled out Africa’s first national program to supply near-daily satellite data for agriculture, forests, urban planning, and disaster planning, with universities and startups included. Agriculture Knowledge Sovereignty: Ghana’s ACCP appointed mycology researcher Dr. John Kupagme to lead an agriculture content push aimed at protecting seed independence and boosting organic, locally driven food systems. Fintech Payments: UAE fintech Botim teamed with Mastercard to launch a multi-funding “One Credential” card experience across EEMEA, enabling flexible prepaid and installment payments. Cybersecurity & Identity: Interpol and other reports highlight rising cybercrime and biometric risks, while a separate market update points to fast-growing facial recognition adoption.

Transport & Safety: Eastern Cape mountain passes reopened after snow, but drivers face wet, slippery roads and severe weather warnings. Public Health: Ebola deaths in DR Congo have surged past 2,000 as the outbreak spread for months before being detected, with thousands of confirmed cases reported. Rail Infrastructure: PRASA’s KwaZulu-Natal network got a new diamond rail crossing at Crossmoor Station, boosting speeds from 15 km/h to 60 km/h and improving ride quality. Agriculture & Food Security: Tanzania’s Sugar Board is pushing sugar self-sufficiency by 2030, highlighting drone-based precision irrigation and fertilizer use at Nanenane 2026. Digital & AI Governance: Nigeria’s fast AI adoption is flagged as a risk of becoming a consumer market, with profits largely captured abroad. Cybersecurity: AI is lowering the barrier for sophisticated cyber attacks, raising new governance and security pressure on African firms. Women & STEM: Kenya’s TUM, DeKUT and Kisii University opened AfDB-funded HEST Phase II scholarships for postgraduate STEM study. Logistics: Swissport expanded Tanzania’s cold-chain cargo capacity with a new temperature-controlled facility at Kilimanjaro International Airport. Mining & Markets: South Africa-linked Barrick named a new global CEO for its Rest of World business, with Africa operations central to output growth.

Subsea Security: Australia is warning that its digital sovereignty is at risk as Big Tech and major cable operators control the undersea infrastructure most of the world’s data depends on. Ancient DNA Research: Scientists report a parchment method that can recover preserved genetic material, opening a new way to study life and livestock history across Africa and beyond. Ebola Response in DR Congo: WHO and Africa CDC say the outbreak needs faster, community-led action as cases rise and insecurity and attacks on health workers keep people away from care. Ebola Timeline Update: WHO says this outbreak likely started earlier than first declared, based on genetic sequencing. Nigeria Trade Modernisation: President Tinubu hailed a homegrown AfCFTA customs modernisation project that will use digital tools for tracking and border management. Energy Crisis & Solar: The IEA says solar panel imports surged across 15 African countries in early 2026 as households and businesses seek reliability. Trade Finance Gap: PAC Research points to digital payments, blockchain-enabled trade systems and regulatory reform to close Africa’s $100bn trade finance shortfall. ICT Cooperation: Namibia and Botswana move to strengthen cybersecurity, connectivity and skills, including plans to co-invest in submarine cables. Clean Energy Partnership: China and Egypt deepen clean energy ties under the Belt and Road, with technology transfer and rapid delivery highlighted. Conservation Alert: Nigeria’s elephant population is estimated at about 400, with habitat loss and conflict pushing the species toward local extinction.