Economy
Ivory Coast Gets ECA Boost for Development Planning
By Dipo Olowookere
On Monday, the Ivoirian government, through the Ministry of Planning and Development (MPD) and the Sub-Regional Office for West Africa of the United Nations Economic Commission for Africa (UNECA), launched the support project to strengthen development planning in Côte d’Ivoire.
This project forms part of the fundamental mission of the ECA to provide assistance to African countries and aims at supporting the renewal of development planning in Côte d’Ivoire.
It consists of developing a Guide to the Project Cycle (GPC) and of strengthening the capacities of the Ivoirian public sector executives in project monitoring and evaluation.
The GPC refers to a set of tools for project design and management based on the Logical Framework analytical method. It takes into account the activity of management and decision-making during the project cycle (including the missions, roles and responsibilities, key documents and decision choices).
The support of the ECA will make it possible to assess the use of GPC tools in Côte d’Ivoire and to provide a methodological guide that presents the different stages of the project cycle, as well as the missions, roles and responsibilities of the actors.
As for the capacity strengthening workshop, it will be held in Abidjan on February 21-25, 2017 with the objective of improving technical skills in project monitoring and evaluation for the management of the MPD and of other Ministries in charge of the design and implementation of development programmes and projects.
For the Deputy Cabinet Director of the Ministry of Planning and Development, Mr N’Grouma Tanoh, it is important to have a guide to the management cycle of the priority projects in Côte d’Ivoire in order on one hand, to standardise management methods and procedures applicable by all the sectoral ministries and on the other hand, to improve the absorption capacities of credits allocated to projects.
For the Director of the Sub-Regional Office for West Africa of the ECA, Dr. Dimitri Sanga, the launching of this project aligns perfectly with the mandate of his organisation which consists of supporting the economic and social development of Member States, to encourage regional integration and promote international cooperation for the development of Africa.
Taking into consideration the sub-regional context, marked by a relatively low resilience to exogenous shocks, with the loss of nearly 3 percentage points of growth between 2014 and 2015, owing mainly to the effect of lower prices for raw materials, Dr Dimitri Sanga explained that the ECA places a special emphasis on two fundamental levers that are closely associated: the acceleration in the structural transformation of African economies and the strengthening of development planning.
Lastly, the Director of the Sub-Regional Office for West Africa of the ECA congratulated Côte d’Ivoire which, with the implementation of the second generation of its NDP for 2016-2020, “is one of the rare countries of our sub-region and even of Africa to remain in an effective and continual process of development planning since 2012”.
Côte d’Ivoire, it should be remembered, implemented successive five-year plans from its independence in 1960 up to 1985, followed by structural adjustment plans and poverty reduction strategy papers up to 2012. In order to transform Côte d’Ivoire into an emergent country by 2020, the Government has decided to re-position planning at the heart of public action. This commitment was materialised by the development and implementation of the National Development Plan (NDP for 2012-2015) and the adoption in December 2015 of the second generation of the NDP for 2016-2020, which is the new framework of reference currently being implemented.
By Aduragbemi Omiyale
The pre-registration training and examination for capital market operators (CMOs) for the second quarter of 2026 has been postponed.
Business Post gathered that the new date for the exercise is now Monday, June 15, 2026.
This information was disclosed by the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) through a circular on Monday, June 8, 2026.
The Nigerian capital market regulator stated that this postponement has also resulted in the extension of the deadline for registration to Friday, June 12, 2026.
In the notice today, the SEC expressed its regret for the inconvenience this action may cause operators, who had prepared for the initial date of the training and examination.
“Further to the recent circular on Q2 2026 Pre-registration Training and Examination, the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) hereby informs all eligible applicants for the Q2 2026 Pre-registration Training and Examination that the commencement date has been postponed to Monday, June 15, 2026.
“Registration on the designated portal has also been extended to Friday, June 12, 2026. All other conditions contained in the circular remain unchanged.
“The commission regrets any inconvenience this postponement may cause and appreciates the understanding of all applicants,” the disclosure noted.
By Aduragbemi Omiyale
One of the leading healthcare firms in Nigeria, Fidson Healthcare Plc, has listed additional shares on the Nigerian Exchange (NGX) Limited.
The new stocks absorbed into the stock market were 600 million units, raising the total issued and fully paid-up shares of Fidson to 3,000,000,000 ordinary shares of 50 Kobo each from 2,400,000,000 ordinary shares of 50 Kobo each.
The fresh equities came from the company’s rights issue of 600,000,000 ordinary shares of 50 Kobo each at N35.00 per share.
They were issued to existing investors on the basis of one new ordinary share for every existing four ordinary shares held as of the close of business on Wednesday, November 12, 2025.
Confirming the development, the regulator in a notice said, “Trading licence holders are hereby notified that an additional 600,000,000 ordinary shares of 50 Kobo each of Fidson Healthcare Plc were on Tuesday, June 2, 2026, listed on the daily official list of Nigerian Exchange Limited.
“The additional shares arose from the company’s rights issue of 600,000,000 ordinary shares of 50 Kobo each at N35.00 per share on the basis of one new ordinary share for every existing four ordinary shares held as at the close of business on Wednesday, November 12, 2025.
“With the listing of the additional 600,000,000 ordinary shares, the total issued and fully paid-up shares of Fidson Healthcare Plc have now increased from 2,400,000,000 to 3,000,000,000 ordinary shares of 50 Kobo each.”
By Modupe Gbadeyanka
This news will surely excite local contractors with verified claims of N100 million or less, as the federal government has approved their payments.
This approval for the disbursement was given by the Minister of Finance and Coordinating Minister of the Economy, Mr Taiwo Oyedele.
This followed a verification and reconciliation exercise designed to ensure only validated claims qualify for payment.
The beneficiaries cover contractors across multiple ministries, departments and agencies. The release of the funds is expected to enable contractors to return to project sites, pay workers, settle suppliers and meet outstanding financial commitments.
In an announcement on Monday, the Federal Ministry of Finance also said this latest batch of payments would ease liquidity pressure on small businesses and accelerate economic activity nationwide.
It was noted that the payments for verified claims of N100 million below were strategically done to spread economic impact broadly rather than concentrate disbursements among a handful of large firms.
The payments form part of a broader push to clear inherited contractor obligations, with over N700 billion verified in recent months.
“For many beneficiaries, the release of funds represents more than a financial transaction. It provides the certainty needed to sustain operations, preserve jobs, complete ongoing projects, and contribute to economic recovery and growth,” the ministry said in a statement.
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