World
Europe Expects Early November Mozambique’s LNG Exports
By Kestér Kenn Klomegâh
Local and foreign media are awash with Mozambique’s efforts in supplying the first tanker of liquefied natural gas (LNG) to be exported from the Rovuma basin, off Cabo Delgado province, to Europe.
While this southern African country is set to make its history with the new direction in exports, it will also help, to some extent, alleviate the energy crisis that has arisen due to the Russia-Ukraine crisis.
Mozambique expects to ship these liquefied natural gas exports to Europe from the Eni-operated Coral Sul floating plant. The BP’s LNG tanker, British Sponsor, has already arrived offshore northern Mozambique, according to the Welligence Energy Analytics media release, with all of Coral Sul’s annual gas output of 3.4 million tonnes contracted to BP for 20 years on a free-on-board basis.
“Regarding the LNG export, it will be for European markets since BP is committed to taking the gas resources to Europe,” said the National Petroleum Institute (INP) in an emailed response to Reuters. The new LNG cargoes will help alleviate a tight global LNG market and gas shortages in Europe as winter looms following Moscow’s February invasion of Ukraine and Russia’s later decision to curb gas pipeline supplies into major European Union economies.
As part of its exploration activity offshore Mozambique, Eni discovered the Coral South gas field in 2012 and took its final investment decision in 2017, pledging to start producing gas using a floating LNG plant after five years.
Thanks to a fast-track strategy led by CEO Claudio Descalzi, Eni has been able to stick to its original schedule despite the pandemic and supply chain issues. The exports from Mozambique, which neighbours South Africa, will help transform its economy as billions of dollars pour into the country to develop massive offshore gas fields in its deepwater Rovuma basin.
Mozambique’s Minister in charge of Economy and Finance, Max Tonela earlier informed while in Washington, on the sidelines of the annual meetings of the International Monetary Fund, that the first tanker of liquefied natural gas (LNG) to be exported from the Rovuma basin, off Cabo Delgado province.
Of the three liquefied natural gas projects approved for the northern region of Mozambique, it is the Coral Sul platform, on the high seas, far from the armed violence in Cabo Delgado, that is set to be the first to export gas from reserves that are among the largest in the world.
The platform, which is overseen by a consortium led by Italy’s Eni, is expected to produce 3.4 million tons of gas per year. The gas has already started to be processed on the platform, and the arrival of the first cargo ship from BP, which has signed a contract to buy the production for 20 years.
The other two larger projects, led by TotalEnergies and Exxon/Eni, have liquefaction plants planned for onshore on the Afungi peninsula but await final decisions by the oil companies to go ahead. The TotalEnergies project was underway but was suspended in March 2021 due to armed attacks in the Cabo Delgado region.
“We have prioritised ensuring the resumption of the construction work of the two onshore liquefaction lines, promoted by Area 1, and all the work that has been carried out aims to recover the situation of normality for families, for the affected populations, but also to promote investments that will result in a more sustained development of the region,” Minister Max Tonela said.
According to him, among the projects is the resumption of TotalEnergies, but taking into account the volume of gas resources that exist and the challenges at the global level of demand and diversification of sources, the government is ready to discuss other scenarios that do not jeopardise the development of onshore projects.
In early September, Mozambique’s president, Filipe Nyusi, also said that the new global scenario might be an added reason to rethink the issue. “We made the first platform: what is the possibility of making another one? There are studies in that direction among the measures to accelerate the production of those reserves,” Nyusi said.
The Rovuma gas is expected to represent 0.3% of the total revenue of the Mozambican state in 2023, which will be the first full year of production from the Coral Sul floating liquefied natural gas platform (FLNG), according to the State Budget draft for 2023.
“Of the amount foreseen for State revenue, 1.25 billion meticais (€20 million) comes from natural gas from Area 4 of the Rovuma Basin. The number comes from the medium-term fiscal scenario,” reads part of the document sent for discussions in parliament and published on the Ministry of Economy and Finance website.
Rovuma gas, off Cabo Delgado, a province affected by an armed insurgency and a humanitarian crisis, accounts for just 0.3% of total revenue collection, which is expected to reach 357 billion meticais (€5.7 thousand million) in 2023.
The general gas revenues are expected to grow as exploitation of the reserves progresses. The project, led by Italian oil company Eni will produce 3.4 million tonnes of liquefied natural gas per year for BP (which has bought the production for 20 years). Revenues from the extractive sector, including gas, should help to create a sovereign wealth fund this year, to which 40% of them will be channelled, according to the proposed sovereign fund law.
In forecasts made in 2020, with all three LNG projects up and running, Mozambique is expected to receive $96 billion (roughly the same amount in euros) over the lifetime of Rovuma gas reserves – almost five times the country’s annual gross domestic product (GDP).
With an approximate population of 30 million, Mozambique is endowed with rich natural resources but remains one of the world’s poorest and most underdeveloped countries. It is one of the 16 countries with a collective responsibility to promote socio-economic, political and security cooperation within the Southern African Development Community.
By Modupe Gbadeyanka
For transforming cross-border payments through its deployment with Global Money Exchange, Comviva has been named Best In-Class Cross Border Payments.
The global leader in digital transformation solutions clinched this latest accolade at the IBS Intelligence Global FinTech Innovation Award 2025.
The recognition highlights how Comviva’s mobiquity Pay is helping shape a modern cross-border payment ecosystem that stretches far beyond conventional remittance services.
Deployed as a white label Wallet Platform and launched as Global Pay Oman App, it fulfils GMEC’s dual vision—positioning itself as an innovative payment service provider while digitally extending its core money transfer business.
The solution allows GMEC to offer international money transfers alongside seamless forex ordering and other services. These capabilities sit alongside a broad suite of everyday financial services, including bill and utility payments, merchant transactions, education-related payments, and other digital conveniences — all delivered through one unified experience.
“This award is a testament to Oman’s accelerating digital transformation and our commitment to reshaping how cross-border payments serve people and businesses across the Sultanate.
“By partnering with Comviva and bringing the Global Pay Oman Super App, we have moved beyond traditional remittance services to create a truly inclusive and future-ready financial ecosystem.
“This innovation is not only enhancing convenience and transparency for our customers but is also supporting Oman’s broader vision of building a digitally empowered economy,” the Managing Director at Global Money Exchange, Subromoniyan K.S, said.
Also commenting, the chief executive of Comviva, Mr Rajesh Chandiramani, said, “Cross-border payments are becoming a daily necessity, not a niche service, particularly for migrant and trade-linked economies.
“This recognition from IBS Intelligence validates our focus on building payment platforms that combine global reach with local relevance, operational resilience and a strong user experience. The deployment with Global Money Exchange Co. demonstrates how mobiquity® Pay enables financial institutions to move beyond remittances and deliver integrated digital services at scale.”
“The deployment of mobiquity Pay for GMEC showcases how scalable, API-driven digital wallet platforms can transform cross-border payments into seamless, value-rich experiences.
“By integrating remittances, bill payments, forex services, and AI-powered engagement into a unified Super App, Comviva has reimagined customer journeys and operational agility.
“This Best-in-Class Cross-border Payments award win stands as a testament to Comviva’s excellence in enabling financial institutions to compete and grow in a digitally convergent world,” the Director for Research and Digital Properties at IBS Intelligence, Nikhil Gokhale, said.
By Kestér Kenn Klomegâh
At the end of an extensive consultation with African foreign ministers, Russian Foreign Minister, Sergey Lavrov, has emphasized that Moscow would advance its economic engagement across Africa, admittedly outlining obstacles delaying the prompt implementation of several initiatives set forth in Strategic Action Plan (2023-2026) approved in St. Petersburg during the Russia-Africa Summit.
The second Ministerial Conference, by the Russian Foreign Ministry with support from Roscongress Foundation and the Arab Republic of Egypt, marked an important milestone towards raising bilateral investment and economic cooperation.
In Cairo, the capital city of the Arab Republic of Egypt, Lavrov read out the final resolution script, in a full-packed conference hall, and voiced strong confidence that Moscow would achieve its strategic economic goals with Africa, with support from the African Union (AU) and other Regional Economic blocs in the subsequent years. Despite the complexities posed by the Russia-Ukraine crisis, combined with geopolitical conditions inside the African continent, Moscow however reiterated its position to take serious steps in finding pragmatic prospects for mutual cooperation and improve multifaceted relations with Africa, distinctively in the different sectors: in trade, economic and investment spheres, education and culture, humanitarian and other promising areas.
The main event was the plenary session co-chaired by Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov and Egyptian Minister of Foreign Affairs, Emigration, and Egyptians Abroad Bashar Abdelathi. Welcome messages from Russian President Vladimir Putin and Egyptian President Abdelhak Sisi were read.
And broadly, the meeting participants compared notes on the most pressing issues on the international and Russian-African agendas, with a focus on the full implementation of the Russia-Africa Partnership Forum Action Plan for 2023-2026, approved at the second Russia-Africa Summit in St. Petersburg in 2023.
In addition, on the sidelines of the conference, Lavrov held talks with his African counterparts, and a number of bilateral documents were signed. A thematic event was held with the participation of Russian and African relevant agencies and organizations, aimed at unlocking the potential of trilateral Russia-Egypt-Africa cooperation in trade, economic, and educational spheres.
With changing times, Africa is rapidly becoming one of the key centers of a multipolar world order. It is experiencing a second awakening. Following their long-ago political independence, African countries are increasingly insisting on respect for their sovereignty and their right to independently manage their resources and destiny. Based on these conditions, it was concluded that Moscow begins an effective and comprehensive work on preparing a new three-year Cooperation and Joint Action Plan between Russia and Africa.
Moreover, these important areas of joint practical work are already detailed in the Joint Statement, which was unanimously approved and will serve as an important guideline for future work. According to reports, the Joint Statement reflects the progress of discussions on international and regional issues, as well as matters of global significance.
Following the conference, the Joint Statement adopted reflects shared approaches to addressing challenges and a mutual commitment to strengthening multifaceted cooperation with a view to ensuring high-quality preparation for the third Russia-Africa Summit in 2026.
On December 19-20, the Second Ministerial Conference of the Russia-Africa Partnership Forum was held in Cairo, Egypt. It was held for the first time on the African continent, attended by heads and representatives of the foreign policy ministries of 52 African states and the executive bodies of eight regional integration associations.
By Adedapo Adesanya
Social media platform, TikTok’s Chinese owner ByteDance has signed binding agreements with United States and global investors to operate its business in America.
Half of the joint venture will be owned by a group of investors, including Oracle, Silver Lake and the Emirati investment firm MGX, according to a memo sent by chief executive, Mr Shou Zi Chew.
The deal, which is set to close on January 22, 2026 would end years of efforts by the US government to force ByteDance to sell its US operations over national security concerns.
It is in line with a deal unveiled in September, when US President Donald Trump delayed the enforcement of a law that would ban the app unless it was sold.
In the memo, TikTok said the deal will enable “over 170 million Americans to continue discovering a world of endless possibilities as part of a vital global community”.
Under the agreement, ByteDance will retain 19.9 per cent of the business, while Oracle, Silver Lake and Abu Dhabi-based MGX will hold 15 per cent each.
Another 30.1 per cent will be held by affiliates of existing ByteDance investors, according to the memo.
The White House previously said that Oracle, which was co-founded by President Trump’s supporter Larry Ellison, will license TikTok’s recommendation algorithm as part of the deal.
The deal comes after a series of delays.
Business Post reported in April 2024 that the administration of President Joe Biden passed a law to ban the app over national security concerns, unless it was sold.
The law was set to go into effect on January 20, 2025 but was pushed back multiple times by President Trump, while his administration worked out a deal to transfer ownership.
President Trump said in September that he had spoken on the phone to China’s President Xi Jinping, who he said had given the deal the go ahead.
The platform’s future remained unclear after the leaders met face to face in October.
The app’s fate was clouded by ongoing tensions between the two nations on trade and other matters.
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