Economy
91% Africa’s CEOs Confident of Firms’ Growth Prospects—PwC
By Dipo Olowookere
A research carried out by PwC has revealed that 91 percent of CEOs in Africa are confident about their own companies’ growth prospects in the medium term.
CEO for PwC Africa, Mr Hein Boegman, described this as the “highest level of confidence since we started our research on CEOs in Africa in 2012.”
This revelation comes despite the current economic and socio-political uncertainty in the continent.
Speaking at the World Economic Forum on Africa 2017 in Durban on the challenges and opportunities facing Africa’s CEOs, Mr Boegman said one of the reasons why Africa CEOs are positive is that they tend to look to the upside and seize on the opportunities uncertainty brings.
Facing a climate of muted growth at best, CEOs recognise that while they focus on organic growth and cost reductions, they also need to prioritise investment in strategic alliances and joint ventures to expand their markets and grow their customer bases.
Despite the level of optimism for growth, CEOs are concerned about uncertain economic growth and the impact this will have on their business, he said.
“The returns for doing business on the continent are high, but so are the risks. Africa’s CEOs are operating in difficult times – infrastructure on the continent remains a challenge, finding and retaining the right talent for their businesses, dealing with many of the hurdles that come with working with governments, and managing growth plans across the continent,” Mr Boegman comments.
According to him, given the major changes we are currently seeing in the world – such as the recent US elections and the UK’s vote to leave the EU – a key feature of the current environment is just how difficult it is to read.
He argued that a single event can trigger a need for wholesale strategic changes. A case in point is the recent political and policy uncertainty in South Africa, and more particularly the recent downgrade in the country’s sovereign debt to junk status. Exchange rate volatility, an increasing tax burden, social instability resulting from inequality, and corruption remain problems in many countries.
Also, CEO for PwC Southern Africa, Dion Shango, remarked that, “It is no longer enough for business leaders to steer their organisations through a complicated and challenging environment – they will need to adapt swiftly to change.”
Shango noted that CEOs will need to focus on their business strategies and processes and will be expected to play a part in the broader community. CEOs will also need to consider the changing expectations and demands of current and future stakeholders.
“For CEOs, their customers, government and competitors have a big influence on business strategy. Understanding their needs and working towards addressing them can help build trust, maintain reputation and lend a licence to operate,” Shango opined.
Anne Eriksson, Regional Senior Partner for PwC in East Africa, says “regulatory policy can also restrain growth, and in some cases, necessitate cost reduction by the businesses affected.”
On the other hand, changes in regulation can also prompt strategic developments in business.
Eriksson points out that regulatory change in Kenya has helped the country’s financial services sector to pay more attention to its customers. A number of multinational companies have also committed to building capacity and improving transparency and regulatory frameworks through engagement with government. “Where there has been progress, economies have benefitted and the result is more inward investment, innovation and organic growth.”
Notwithstanding the slowdown, Africa is also experiencing a number of advances economically and socially. There are significant trends that could offer new opportunities and benefits for businesses, governments and the population. In the past year, global megatrends such as demographic change, increase in urbanisation, shifts in global economic power and technological innovation are favourable to development on the continent.
Across all sectors, the pace of innovation in Africa is driving greater collaboration and convergence. A number of multinational companies have committed to building capacity and improving transparency and regulatory frameworks through engagement with governments.
Where there has been progress, markets have benefitted and the result is more inward investment, innovation and growth. But in order to grow and expand to its potential, Africa will need to face the political and economic repercussions of climate change, as well as safety and political instability in some areas.
“The business leader of today must deliver seamless strategy and operational excellence. Africa’s CEOs will need to overcome a number of challenges to truly transform their organisations. In the process, business needs to recognise and manage its responsibilities and dependencies,” Boegman concludes.
By Modupe Gbadeyanka
The Governor of Lagos State, Mr Babajide Sanwo-Olu, on Monday signed the 2026 appropriation bill of N4.45 trillion into law.
At the signing ceremony in Alausa, Ikeja in the presence of his deputy, Mr Femi Hamzat, the Governor thanked the Lagos State House of Assembly, led by the Speaker, Mr Mudashiru Obasa, for passing the 2026 budget christened Budget of Shared Prosperity.
He said though the appropriation bill was increased from N4.2 trillion to N4.45 trillion, this only showed the independence of the parliament, promising that the executive arm of government will accountably implement the bill.
“On behalf of the people and the government of Lagos State, let me thank the House of Assembly. This is a budget that you have had your full input into, you have scrutinized, you have dissected, and you have taken your time to do the very constitutional provision, which is enshrined in our constitution. I want to thank you for the work you have done.
“You will notice that there is a slight increase from what we put forward, but that goes to show that the independence that you have, and the fact that you believe that Lagosians actually also deserve more, and the fact that you believe that we also can do more. So we’re excited and we’re happy with the way that you have brought it forward here to us.
“For us in the executive, it is another opportunity for us to be able to work together. It is a budget of shared prosperity that has been properly christened, and sharing prosperity means that it’s an inclusive government, it’s a budget that must carry everybody along irrespective of what part of the state, what division in the state, what sector you are from you must feel governance, you must feel the essence of why we’re in government in one form or the other,” Mr Sanwo-Olu said.
The Speaker, represented by the Majority leader of the Lagos Assembly, Mr Noheem Adams, praised the Governor for his people-oriented policies.
Business Post recalls that on November 25, 2025, Mr Sanwo-Olu presented a proposed to spend N4.237 trillion this year, higher than the N3.366 trillion approved for 2025.
But the lawmakers increased the budget to N4.445 trillion and passed it on January 8, 2026, and transmitted to the Governor for assent.
By Adedapo Adesanya
The Nigeria Export Promotion Council (NEPC) has disclosed that Nigeria’s non-oil exports for the year 2025 stood at $6.1 billion.
According to the NEPC Executive Director, Mrs Nonye Ayeni, on Monday, the figure showed a growth of 11.5 per cent compared to the $5.4 billion recorded in December 2024.
Mrs Ayeni noted that while the top three export destinations for the year were the Netherlands, Brazil, and India, a total of 1.23 million metric tonnes of goods were exported to 11 Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) countries, with Ghana, Côte d’Ivoire, Togo, and Benin topping the list.
However, she explained that the exit of Burkina Faso, Mail and Niger led to a decline of trade within the ECOWAS sub-region, as well as Africa.
The three countries under military juntas have moved to restrict trade with their fellow West Africans.
A further breakdown of the 2025 report of the non-oil sector showed that 281 products, which include agricultural commodities, processed and semi-processed goods, were exported.
Top products on the list of non-oil export include cocoa, sesame seeds, urea, soya beans, and rubber, amongst others.
Nigeria has moved in recent times to boost its non-oil exports to reduce vulnerability to external shocks and price volatility associated with commodities like oil.
Despite Nigeria’s heavy dependence on oil revenues, it continues to expose the country to sudden fiscal pressures whenever global prices fall, often constraining public spending and slowing growth.
The latest NEPC data shows that by expanding exports in agriculture, manufacturing, services, and creative industries, Nigeria can build a more balanced economic structure that is better able to absorb global disruptions while sustaining steady income flows.
Market analysts have noted that strengthening non-oil exports can help Nigeria’s long-term competitiveness and foreign exchange (FX) earnings. It could also further improve the country’s trade balance, support currency stability, and attract investment by signalling economic resilience and policy credibility.
By Aduragbemi Omiyale
The economic growth outlook of Nigeria for 2026 has been upgraded by the International Monetary Fund (IMF) to 4.4 per cent from the 4.2 per cent earlier projected in October 2025.
This comes a few days after the World Bank Group raised the country’s growth forecast to 4.4 per cent this year from the 3.7 per cent earlier predicted in June 2025.
In its January 2026 World Economic Outlook (WEO) Update titled Global Economy: Steady amid Divergent Forces, the IMF explained that it was lifting the growth projection for Nigeria due to improved macroeconomic conditions and reform momentum.
However, it cautioned that “escalating geopolitical tensions” in the Middle East and Ukraine could negatively impact “the [positive] outlook.”
The organisation stressed that renewed trade tensions and protectionist measures, which could heighten global uncertainty and high public debt and fiscal deficits could exert upward pressure on long-term interest rates.
The IMF also identified energy prices as a critical factor shaping the 2026 outlook, projecting that energy commodity prices are expected to decline by about 7 per cent in 2026 largely due to weak global demand.
It charged the Nigerian government to focus on rebuilding fiscal buffers, and structural reforms without delay to maintain economic stability.
The Fund also stressed that central bank independence remains critical for macroeconomic stability, especially amid heightened global volatility.
It said the ability of the country to meet its 2026 growth target would depend on the consistent implementation of reforms and its capacity to withstand domestic and external shocks as the global economy continues to adjust.
As for the global economy, the IMF noted that it anticipates a 3.3 per cent growth in 2026, reflecting a balancing of divergent forces.
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