Economy
Despite the Infections, Africa Without Monkeypox Vaccines
By Kestér Kenn Klomegâh
The World Health Organization (WHO) has declared monkeypox a new global health emergency after 20,000 cases were reported in 77 countries. Some 75 people have died in the 11 African countries where the disease was recorded, according to the latest reports in late July. It said monkeypox is an “extraordinary” situation that qualifies as a global health emergency.
Despite these few deaths last month and signs that it would spread further, Africa is fighting monkeypox without vaccine the same as it has been with Covid-19. A surge in monkeypox infections has particularly been reported since early May outside the West and Central African countries where the disease has long been endemic.
The vast majority of deaths due to monkeypox have been registered on the African continent. Africa remains the only part of the world with no doses of the vaccine, according to the Africa Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
“Let us get vaccines onto the continent,” acting head of the African Centre for Disease Control, ACDC, Ahmed Ogwell, said in a weekly media briefing pointing to another instance of 1.3 billion people on the continent without access to a vaccine, as in the Covid-19 pandemic.
Reports said that monkeypox has been established in parts of central and west Africa for decades, but it was not known to spark large outbreaks beyond the continent or to spread widely among people until May when authorities detected dozens of epidemics in Europe, North America and elsewhere.
Ogwell said the Africa CDC has engaged with international partners in attempts to obtain vaccines, and while he said “good news” is expected in the coming days, “we cannot be able to give you a timeline.”
Even doses of the smallpox vaccine, which has shown effectiveness against monkeypox, are not available in Africa, Ogwell said. “The solutions need to be global in nature,” he said, in a warning to the international community. “If we’re not safe, the rest of the world is not safe.”
The Covid-19 pandemic and the global hoarding of vaccine doses were a jolt to African leaders, who quickly joined together in an unprecedented effort to obtain doses and establish the production of more vaccines on the continent.
WHO’s Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus said there were about 16 million doses of approved vaccine available, but only in bulk, so it would take several months to get them into vials. His organization is currently urging countries with stockpiles to share vaccines while supply is constrained. It, however, estimates that between 5 million and 10 million doses of vaccine will be needed to protect all high-risk groups.
It has said it is creating a vaccine-sharing mechanism for protection against monkeypox, but the organization has released few details, so there’s no guarantee that African countries will get priority. No countries have yet agreed to share any vaccines with the health organization.
WHO, however, warned against discrimination. “A failure to act will have grave consequences for global health,” Lawrence Gostin, the director of the WHO Collaborating Center on National and Global Health Law, said on Twitter.
Health officials have emphasized that monkeypox can infect anyone in close contact with a patient or their contaminated clothing or bedsheets. Researchers are still exploring how it spreads but believe it’s mainly through close, skin-to-skin contact and through contact with bedding and clothing that touched an infected person’s rash or body fluids.
Another report also pointed to the fact that monkeypox has been a globally neglected public health problem in parts of Africa for decades, but cases began to be reported outside countries where it is endemic in May. It generally causes mild to moderate symptoms, including fever, fatigue and painful skin lesions that resolve within a few weeks.
In Africa, monkeypox mainly spreads to people by infected wild animals like rodents in limited outbreaks that typically have not crossed borders. In Europe, North America and elsewhere, however, monkeypox is spreading among people with no links to animals or recent travel to Africa. In the U.S. and Europe, the vast majority of infections have happened in men who have sex with men, though health officials have stressed that anyone can contract the virus.
By Adedapo Adesanya
The Nigerian National Petroleum Company (NNPC) Limited and Dangote Refinery imported a total of 38,000 barrels per day of petrol in May 2026 as the country returned actively to the importation of the fuel.
According to a report by Argus, gasoline (petrol) deliveries to Nigeria were a four-month high of 57,000 barrels a day in the review month.
This came after import permits were issued for the second quarter and market participants flagged maintenance works at independently-owned Dangote’s 700,000 barrels per day Lekki refinery.
The platform reported that petrol exports from Nigeria were 23,000 barrels per day, of which Dangote carried out 65 per cent of the product at 15,000 barrels per day.
This meant Nigeria returned to net gasoline importer status in the month, after net exporting 49,000 barrels per day in April and 6,000 barrels per day in March, citing Kpler data.
The sole destination of all Nigeria’s petrol imports in May came from Europe. A breakdown showed that Nigeria got 37 per cent (21,000 barrels per day) from Norway, Italy provided 16 per cent (9,000 barrels per day), and France covered 14 per cent (8,000 barrels per day).
Out of the 57,000 barrels per day of product brought into the country, Dangote Refinery bought 27,000 barrels per day while the state-owned NNPC brought in 11,000 per day.
Argus, citing Kpler, said the buyer or buyers of the remaining 19,000 barrels per day. These were likely independent marketers who were issued import licenses during the month.
This means Dangote remains the top petrol producer and importer in the country. The refinery owner brought in 29,000 barrels per day of the 67,000 barrels per day total petrol imports in January-May.
According to the Argus report, Nigerian petrol imports have been elevated so far in June, with license holders likely to exercise their allocations before expiry at month-end. AA Rano has landed 56,000 barrels per day, and NNPC has imported 121,000 barrels per day. The 177,000 barrels per day of petrol cargo arrivals in June to date are three times higher than in May and up from 140,000 barrels per day in June 2025.
By Adedapo Adesanya
The Director-General of the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC), Mr Emomotimi Agama, has called for stronger collaboration among African capital markets to enhance regional integration, promote cross-border investments, and drive economic growth across the continent.
Mr Agama made the call in Abuja on Monday during the signing of a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) between Nigeria’s Securities and Exchange Commission and the Capital Markets Authority (CMA) of Rwanda.
The agreement is aimed at strengthening cooperation between the two regulatory bodies in areas including investor education, capital market development, information exchange on regulatory and market developments, capacity building, technical assistance, and cooperation on enforcement and supervisory matters.
According to the MoU, both parties recognise the importance of collaboration in fostering confidence, innovation, market development, and sound practices within their respective capital markets, while also supporting regional and international engagement.
Speaking at the signing ceremony, Mr Agama emphasised the need for African countries to deepen cooperation and invest in one another’s markets to build a more interconnected and prosperous continent.
“We are excited about this opportunity to help develop your capital market. We need to cooperate in Africa, invest in each other’s markets and grow our continent. In so doing, we will build collaboration so that, as Africans, we can have a common focus and create a strong interconnection. The time is now for us to look inwards,” he said.
The SEC Director-General commended Rwanda’s economic progress and acknowledged the country’s achievements in attracting investment and promoting commerce.
“We appreciate the strength of the Rwandan economy and the efforts made to rekindle the real value of the African race. On our part, we have a very strong capital market structure, and we want to see what role the capital market can play in advancing Africa’s development agenda,” Agama stated.
He described the capital market as the nerve centre of the economy, stressing the need for citizens to understand and utilise it as a tool for wealth creation and improved living standards.
“The capital market is an enabler of economic development, and we believe there is much Rwanda can learn from Nigeria’s experience to strengthen its market. We are willing to contribute to the success of other nations because our relationship and integration will help build both markets and improve the lives of our citizens,” he said.
Mr Agama further urged African governments to leverage long-term capital from the market to finance infrastructure projects, describing the capital market as a critical solution for mobilising sustainable development financing.
“We see the capital market as a solution provider for moving economies forward. We want to make Africa better and a destination of choice for investors. We are committed to working jointly with other regulators to achieve this objective,” he added.
In his remarks, Chief Executive Officer of the Capital Markets Authority of Rwanda, Mr Romeo Ngarambe, welcomed the partnership and expressed confidence that the collaboration would support the growth of Rwanda’s capital market.
“We are here to learn from Nigeria, which has a more advanced capital market. We are confident that the lessons and experiences shared will contribute significantly to the development of our market. Whatever knowledge you provide, we will make good use of it, and we look forward to a fruitful partnership,” Mr Ngarambe said.
The MoU is expected to strengthen regulatory cooperation between both countries and support broader efforts toward the integration and development of African capital markets.
By Aduragbemi Omiyale
To reinforce its commitment to Nigeria’s industrial growth, one of the leading cement manufacturers in the country, Lafarge Africa Plc, has unveiled a new corporate identity, rebranding to HBM Nigeria Plc.
According to the chief executive of the organisation, Mr Lolu Alade-Akinyemi, the new identity signals a forward-looking phase for the company, driven by operational excellence, innovation, sustainability, and long-term value creation.
He noted that the transition marks a significant milestone in the company’s transformation journey and strategic alignment with its new shareholder structure, reflecting the company’s continued evolution as one of Nigeria’s leading building solutions providers, combining strong local roots with enhanced global industrial collaboration.
He reaffirmed that the name change will not affect its operations, workforce, customers, shareholders, or its unwavering commitment to Nigeria’s economic growth and infrastructure development.
“HBM Nigeria Plc represents an exciting new chapter in our journey as a leading building solutions company. While our corporate identity is evolving, our commitment to Nigeria remains unwavering.
“We remain focused on delivering quality cement, concrete, aggregates, and innovative building solutions that support infrastructure development, housing growth, and industrialisation.
“This transition positions us for the future while reinforcing the values of excellence, sustainability, customer satisfaction, and responsible business practices that have defined our legacy for decades,” he stated.
Mr Alade-Akinyemi explained that the transition to HBM Nigeria Plc will be implemented through a structured, phased process across the company’s nationwide operations, adding that employees, customers, shareholders, investors, host communities, and other stakeholders should expect seamless business continuity, sustained investments across the country, and an even stronger focus on creating long-term economic and social value.
In his remarks, the Chairman of HBM Nigeria Plc, Mr Gbenga Oyebode, said the transition is designed to position the company for enduring success while remaining true to the values and principles that have shaped its legacy over the decades.
“I would like to express my sincere appreciation to our shareholders for their continued trust, to the Board and Management for their leadership, and to our employees whose dedication and commitment continue to drive the company forward.
“We are confident that HBM Nigeria Plc will continue to create sustainable value for shareholders, strengthen stakeholder trust, and deliver on its long-term ambitions,” Mr Oyebode said.
Also speaking at the event, the Minister of Works, Mr David Umahi, commended HBM Nigeria Plc for its significant contributions to Nigeria’s infrastructure development by delivering landmark projects across the country.
Highlighting the company’s role in supporting the federal government’s infrastructure agenda, he said, “I can talk about Lafarge for a whole day because we have come a long way. Though the company is very strict and of high integrity, I can say that their products are impeccable.”
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