<figure class="wp-block-image size-large"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" width="820" height="547" src="https://cms.cnbcafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/02/76KI5H4MAFL5ZK7OGV4LXR2UG4-820x547.jpg" alt="" class="wp-image-459116" srcset="https://cms.cnbcafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/02/76KI5H4MAFL5ZK7OGV4LXR2UG4-820x547.jpg 820w, https://cms.cnbcafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/02/76KI5H4MAFL5ZK7OGV4LXR2UG4-300x200.jpg 300w, https://cms.cnbcafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/02/76KI5H4MAFL5ZK7OGV4LXR2UG4-135x90.jpg 135w, https://cms.cnbcafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/02/76KI5H4MAFL5ZK7OGV4LXR2UG4-768x512.jpg 768w, https://cms.cnbcafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/02/76KI5H4MAFL5ZK7OGV4LXR2UG4-1536x1024.jpg 1536w, https://cms.cnbcafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/02/76KI5H4MAFL5ZK7OGV4LXR2UG4-scaled.jpg 2048w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 820px) 100vw, 820px" /><figcaption class="wp-element-caption">FILE PHOTO: The sun is seen behind a crude oil pump jack in the Permian Basin in Loving County, Texas, U.S., November 22, 2019. REUTERS/Angus Mordant/File Photo</figcaption></figure>



ABUJA/LAGOS, May 3 (Reuters)&nbsp;&#8211;&nbsp;Majors such as Exxon Mobil&nbsp;XOM.N&nbsp;and Shell&nbsp;SHEL.L&nbsp;that aim to exit Nigeria&#8217;s onshore oil can get quicker approval to do so if they take responsibility for spills rather than wait for authorities to apportion blame, the regulator said on Friday.



Exxon, Shell, TotalEnergies, and Eni have all&nbsp;<a href="https://www.reutersconnect.com/all?search=all%3AL1N3H516Q&amp;linkedFromStory=true" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">sought to leave</a>&nbsp;Nigeria&#8217;s oil-rich Niger delta in recent years citing security concerns, including theft and sabotage, to focus on deepwater drilling. However, their exits have been delayed by regulatory hurdles.



At a meeting with the companies in Abuja, Nigerian Upstream Petroleum Regulatory Commission (NUPRC) chief Gbenga Komolafe offered a short-term option with faster approval if the companies commit to cleaning up spills and compensating communities.



&#8220;We have the undertaking here. The consent here though fixed for June, could be much shorter,&#8221; he said.



&#8220;If you agree to take that option, you sign the undertaking knowing that there are obligations to be fulfilled,&#8221; Komolafe said.



The second long-term option involves waiting for NURPC to identify and assign all liabilities, potentially delaying the final approval until August.



NURPC is seeking to balance a faster&nbsp;<a href="https://www.reutersconnect.com/all?search=all%3AL1N3E60OQ&amp;linkedFromStory=true" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">exit for oil majors</a>&nbsp;with protecting the environment, local communities, and the long-term viability of the assets



The companies are reviewing the options and will respond soon, they said.



Analysts say the accelerated option could cost oil majors millions of dollars for cleanups and reparations.



The departure of the majors means a total of 26 onshore blocks are on offer, holding an estimated reserve of 13.76 billion barrels of oil, 2.70 billion barrels of condensate, and about 90,717 billion cubic feet of gas, NUPRC said.



&#8220;We aim to ensure that the companies that take over these blocks have the necessary financial resources and possess the technical expertise required to responsibly manage the blocks throughout their lifecycle in accordance with good asset stewardship practices,&#8221; Komolafe said.



(Editing by Elisha Bala-Gbogbo and Barbara Lewis)

FILE PHOTO: The sun is seen behind a crude oil pump jack in the Permian Basin in Loving County

Oil majors offered faster Nigerian exit if they pay for cleanup

<figure class="wp-block-image size-large"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" width="820" height="547" src="https://cms.cnbcafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/05/Anglo-CEO-meets-S.Africa-mines-minister-after-BHPs-takeover-proposal-820x547.jpg" alt="" class="wp-image-482625" srcset="https://cms.cnbcafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/05/Anglo-CEO-meets-S.Africa-mines-minister-after-BHPs-takeover-proposal-820x547.jpg 820w, https://cms.cnbcafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/05/Anglo-CEO-meets-S.Africa-mines-minister-after-BHPs-takeover-proposal-300x200.jpg 300w, https://cms.cnbcafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/05/Anglo-CEO-meets-S.Africa-mines-minister-after-BHPs-takeover-proposal-135x90.jpg 135w, https://cms.cnbcafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/05/Anglo-CEO-meets-S.Africa-mines-minister-after-BHPs-takeover-proposal-768x512.jpg 768w, https://cms.cnbcafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/05/Anglo-CEO-meets-S.Africa-mines-minister-after-BHPs-takeover-proposal-1536x1024.jpg 1536w, https://cms.cnbcafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/05/Anglo-CEO-meets-S.Africa-mines-minister-after-BHPs-takeover-proposal-scaled.jpg 2048w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 820px) 100vw, 820px" /><figcaption class="wp-element-caption">Anglo American CEO Duncan Wanblad speaks during the Investing in African Mining Indaba 2023 conference in Cape Town, South Africa, February 6, 2023. REUTERS/Shelley Christians REFILE &#8211; CORRECTING INFORMATION</figcaption></figure>



JOHANNESBURG, May 3 (Reuters)&nbsp;&#8211;&nbsp;Anglo American&nbsp;AAL.L&nbsp;CEO Duncan Wanblad is meeting on Friday South African mines minister Gwede Mantashe for the first time since the miner rejected BHP Group&#8217;s&nbsp;BHP.AX&nbsp;$39 billion&nbsp;<a href="https://www.reutersconnect.com/all?search=all%3AFWN3GY2K8&amp;linkedFromStory=true" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">takeover bid</a>, a source familiar with the matter told Reuters.



BHP, the world&#8217;s biggest-listed mining group, is privately talking to investors as it weighs up its next move after Anglo&#8217;s rejection of its initial proposal.



Commodities giant Glencore is also&nbsp;<a href="https://www.reutersconnect.com/all?search=all%3AL8N3H53AS&amp;linkedFromStory=true" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">studying an approach</a>&nbsp;for Anglo, sources told Reuters, a development that could spark a bidding war for the 107-year old mining company.



Anglo declined to comment on the meeting with Mantashe.



The source did not give details of the meeting.



BHP has proposed that Anglo sell its shares in units Anglo Platinum (Amplats) and Kumba Iron Ore as an option to exit the South African assets it does not want included in the deal.



Anglo unanimously rejected the proposal as opportunistic and significantly undervaluing the company and its future prospects.



Its investors are concerned that&nbsp;<a href="https://www.reutersconnect.com/all?search=all%3AL1N3H21H1&amp;linkedFromStory=true" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">they stand to lose</a>&nbsp;heavily by holding shares in the South African subsidiaries, if they are un-bundled.



There is a risk that South African regulatory authorities, particularly its central bank, could be concerned about capital outflows from foreign investors not willing to hold the shares, the source said.



BHP CEO Mike Henry, who is in South Africa to canvass views from investors on the company’s proposed offer to Anglo, was in &#8220;listening only mode&#8221; during a meeting with a Cape Town-based fund manager on Friday, another source told Reuters.



BHP executives also held a call with South Africa&#8217;s Public Investment Corporation earlier in the week, a separate source said.



Anglo has said it&nbsp;<a href="https://www.reutersconnect.com/all?search=all%3AL8N3H22HL&amp;linkedFromStory=true" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">will meet its top investors</a>&nbsp;to hear their views on BHP&#8217;s approach.



(Reporting by Felix Njini and Clara Denina, Editing by Veronica Brown and Emelia Sithole-Matarise)

Investing in African Mining Indaba 2023 conference in Cape Town

Anglo CEO meets S.Africa mines minister after BHP’s takeover proposal

Georgia rocked by protests over ‘Russian law’

<figure class="wp-block-image size-large"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" width="820" height="574" src="https://cms.cnbcafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/11/HJTEOAVY5FMF7IXGXS6VBIZ754-820x574.jpg" alt="" class="wp-image-421202" srcset="https://cms.cnbcafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/11/HJTEOAVY5FMF7IXGXS6VBIZ754-820x574.jpg 820w, https://cms.cnbcafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/11/HJTEOAVY5FMF7IXGXS6VBIZ754-300x210.jpg 300w, https://cms.cnbcafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/11/HJTEOAVY5FMF7IXGXS6VBIZ754-128x90.jpg 128w, https://cms.cnbcafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/11/HJTEOAVY5FMF7IXGXS6VBIZ754-768x538.jpg 768w, https://cms.cnbcafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/11/HJTEOAVY5FMF7IXGXS6VBIZ754-1536x1076.jpg 1536w, https://cms.cnbcafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/11/HJTEOAVY5FMF7IXGXS6VBIZ754-scaled.jpg 2048w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 820px) 100vw, 820px" /><figcaption class="wp-element-caption">FILE PHOTO: A truck is seen loaded with rocks for processing at an open pit at Dorowa mine in Hwedza, Zimbabwe October 22, 2019. REUTERS/Philimon Bulawayo</figcaption></figure>



HARARE, May 2 (Reuters)&nbsp;&#8211;&nbsp;Zimbabwe&#8217;s only operating nickel mine was on Thursday placed under administration, according to a government notice, seven months after halting production due to equipment failure and low prices.



Zimbabwe&#8217;s government owns 70% of Bindura Nickel Corporation&#8217;s&nbsp;BIND.VF&nbsp;Trojan Nickel Mine which employs about 1,100 people according to Bindura&#8217;s latest annual report.



The reconstruction order was published on Thursday in the Government Gazette which also announced the appointment of an administrator.



Trojan is Zimbabwe&#8217;s only primary nickel producer, though the country&#8217;s platinum miners also produce the metal which is mainly used in steelmaking.



Nickel prices have fallen from record levels above $100,000 in 2022 when they were driven by expectations of reduced supplies from major producer Russia following its invasion of Ukraine, to around $19,000 per ton in the currently oversupplied market. Prices are currently 25% down on their levels a year ago.



Low prices have forced top global producer BHP Group&nbsp;BHP.AX&nbsp;to review its nickel business,&nbsp;<a href="https://www.reutersconnect.com/all?search=all%3AL3N3FW078&amp;linkedFromStory=true" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">warning</a>&nbsp;that 30% of Australian mine capacity had gone offline and another 30% was in trouble due to the squeeze on margins.



Trojan mine&#8217;s nickel concentrate output plunged to 1,314 metric tons in its last financial year, which ended in March 2024, down from 3,180 metric tons the year before.



This was after the mine suspended operations last September following the damage suffered by its ore hoisting equipment during a seismic event. The mine has capacity to produce 5,500 metric tons of nickel concentrate annually.



On April 29, the company said while it had managed to install new ore hoisting gear, it would delay restarting mining operations due to low prices and high costs of inputs such as electricity.



&#8220;BNC needs to mobilise the requisite capital for retooling, with particular emphasis on increasing the availability of



underground mining mobile equipment and the processing plant,&#8221; it said on Thursday.



Trojan mine started production in 1964 under the Anglo American group which sold the asset in 2003.



(Reporting by Nyasha Chingono; Editing by Nelson Banya and Elaine Hardcastle)

A truck is seen loaded with rocks for processing at an open pit at Dorowa mine in Hwedza

Zimbabwe’s sole nickel mine placed under administration

<figure class="wp-block-image size-large"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" width="820" height="462" src="https://cms.cnbcafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/05/Fed-and-ECB-divergence-on-rate-cuts-could-spell-trouble-for-the-euro-economist-says-820x462.jpeg" alt="" class="wp-image-482533" srcset="https://cms.cnbcafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/05/Fed-and-ECB-divergence-on-rate-cuts-could-spell-trouble-for-the-euro-economist-says-820x462.jpeg 820w, https://cms.cnbcafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/05/Fed-and-ECB-divergence-on-rate-cuts-could-spell-trouble-for-the-euro-economist-says-300x169.jpeg 300w, https://cms.cnbcafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/05/Fed-and-ECB-divergence-on-rate-cuts-could-spell-trouble-for-the-euro-economist-says-160x90.jpeg 160w, https://cms.cnbcafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/05/Fed-and-ECB-divergence-on-rate-cuts-could-spell-trouble-for-the-euro-economist-says-768x432.jpeg 768w, https://cms.cnbcafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/05/Fed-and-ECB-divergence-on-rate-cuts-could-spell-trouble-for-the-euro-economist-says.jpeg 929w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 820px) 100vw, 820px" /><figcaption class="wp-element-caption">The President of the European Central Bank (ECB) Christine Lagarde gestures as she addresses a press conference following the meeting of the governing council of the ECB in Frankfurt am Main, western Germany, on April 11, 2024. Kirill Kudryavtsev | Afp | Getty Images</figcaption></figure>



The prospect of the European Central Bank diverging from the Federal Reserve on interest rate cuts is likely to be “particularly negative” for the 20-nation euro zone, according to one economist.



The ECB&nbsp;<a href="https://www.cnbc.com/2024/04/19/heres-what-12-ecb-members-said-about-interest-rates-this-week.html">appears on course</a>&nbsp;to cut interest rates in June, barring any major surprises, and&nbsp;<a href="https://www.cnbc.com/2024/04/30/euro-zone-inflation-april-2024-and-first-quarter-gdp.html">recent inflation data</a>&nbsp;has since bolstered the case for an imminent reduction in borrowing costs.



The U.S. central bank, meanwhile,&nbsp;<a href="https://www.cnbc.com/2024/05/01/fed-rate-decision-may-2024-.html">held interest rates steady</a>&nbsp;on Wednesday, with the rate-setting Federal Open Market Committee citing a “lack of further progress” in getting inflation back down to its 2% target.



The Federal Reserve&nbsp;<a href="https://www.cnbc.com/2024/05/01/fed-decision-heres-what-changed-in-the-new-statement.html">said in a statement</a>&nbsp;that it did not expect to reduce rates until it had gained “greater confidence” that inflation was moving sustainably back toward its target level, reiterating language it used after the March and January meetings.



It leaves the ECB firmly on track to cut interest rates before the Fed.



“The problem of cutting rates right now is that the ECB takes for granted the strength of the&nbsp;<a href="https://www.cnbc.com/quotes/EUR=/">euro</a>. And if they start to cut rates ahead of the Federal Reserve, that is basically giving the world a signal that the euro needs to weaken,” Daniel Lacalle, chief economist at Tressis Gestion, told CNBC’s “Street Signs Europe” on Thursday.



“And if the euro weakens, the import bill of the euro zone is going to rise, making it even more difficult for the euro area to grow.”



Lacalle said a June rate cut from the ECB was not going to make German, French or Spanish businesses take more credit “because a small rate cut is not the driver of credit demand.” Credit demand refers to the appetite for business and consumer loans.



He added, “What makes credit demand interesting, or rise, is the fact that there [are] economic and investment opportunities and those are curbed by regulation and the misguided energy policy of the euro area.”



An ECB spokesperson declined to comment when contacted by CNBC.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-ecb-heading-toward-a-rate-cut"><a></a>ECB heading toward a rate cut?</h2>



Speaking to CNBC on last month, ECB President Christine Lagarde&nbsp;<a href="https://www.cnbc.com/2024/04/16/lagarde-says-ecb-will-cut-rates-soon-barring-any-major-surprises.html">said</a>&nbsp;the central bank remained on course to cut interest rates in the near term, subject to any additional shocks.



“We just need to build a bit more confidence in this disinflationary process but if it moves according to our expectations, if we don’t have a major shock in development, we are heading towards a moment where we have to moderate the restrictive monetary policy,” Lagarde said on April 16.



Official figures&nbsp;<a href="https://www.cnbc.com/2024/04/30/euro-zone-inflation-april-2024-and-first-quarter-gdp.html">published</a>&nbsp;Tuesday showed that prices in the euro area held steady at 2.4% in April, while the economy returned to growth over the first three months of the year.



Gross domestic product rose by 0.3% over the first quarter, slightly better than consensus economist expectations. GDP for the fourth quarter of 2023 was revised from no growth to a 0.1% contraction, which means that the euro zone was in a technical recession in the second half of last year.



Tressis Gestion’s Lacalle said one prevailing market narrative was that high interest rates in Europe were to blame for sluggish economic growth. “However, the euro zone slowdown has absolutely nothing to do with rate hikes,” he said.



Instead, Lacalle said recent economic weakness across the euro zone should be attributed to the bloc’s energy policy, regulatory measures and farming and agricultural policy.



— CNBC’s Jeff Cox &amp; Jenni Reid contributed to this report.

Fed-and-ECB-divergence-on-rate-cuts-could-spell-trouble-for-the-euro-economist-says

Fed and ECB divergence on rate cuts could spell trouble for the euro, economist says

<figure class="wp-block-image size-large"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" width="820" height="547" src="https://cms.cnbcafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/05/Chad-prepares-to-vote-in-a-coup-hit-region-wary-allies-look-on-820x547.jpg" alt="" class="wp-image-482530" srcset="https://cms.cnbcafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/05/Chad-prepares-to-vote-in-a-coup-hit-region-wary-allies-look-on-820x547.jpg 820w, https://cms.cnbcafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/05/Chad-prepares-to-vote-in-a-coup-hit-region-wary-allies-look-on-300x200.jpg 300w, https://cms.cnbcafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/05/Chad-prepares-to-vote-in-a-coup-hit-region-wary-allies-look-on-135x90.jpg 135w, https://cms.cnbcafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/05/Chad-prepares-to-vote-in-a-coup-hit-region-wary-allies-look-on-768x512.jpg 768w, https://cms.cnbcafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/05/Chad-prepares-to-vote-in-a-coup-hit-region-wary-allies-look-on-1536x1024.jpg 1536w, https://cms.cnbcafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/05/Chad-prepares-to-vote-in-a-coup-hit-region-wary-allies-look-on-scaled.jpg 2048w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 820px) 100vw, 820px" /><figcaption class="wp-element-caption">FILE PHOTO: Supporters of Chadian interim President Mahamat Idriss Deby attend his presidential campaign rally ahead of the May elections in Moundou, Chad April 25, 2024. REUTERS/ Gilles Chris Namia Rimbarne/File Photo</figcaption></figure>



N&#8217;DJAMENA, May 3 (Reuters)&nbsp;&#8211;&nbsp;Chad will hold presidential elections on Monday, making it the first in a string of coup-hit states across Central and West Africa to use the ballot box to try to emerge from years of military rule.



Opposition groups have already cried foul.&nbsp;<a href="https://www.reutersconnect.com/all?search=all%3AL1N3DR0AN&amp;linkedFromStory=true" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">The candidate</a>&nbsp;widely expected to win is Mahamat Idriss Deby &#8211; the man who&nbsp;<a href="https://www.reutersconnect.com/all?search=all%3AL8N2MF76P&amp;linkedFromStory=true" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">seized power</a>&nbsp;the day rebels&nbsp;<a href="https://www.reutersconnect.com/all?search=all%3AL1N2MD0Q3&amp;linkedFromStory=true" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">shot and killed</a>&nbsp;his long-ruling father, Idriss Deby, in April 2021.



But Chad&#8217;s Western allies have largely stayed quiet and kept watch &#8211; hoping, analysts say, that at the very least, the vote will deliver a relatively stable state in a region hit by militant violence where Russia is also pushing for influence.



Among those Western countries is Chad&#8217;s former colonial ruler France which still has war planes and 1,000 troops there, most recently helping Chad and its neighbours combat the Islamist fighters of Boko Haram.



Chad is now the last Sahel country with a substantial French military presence after other junta-led states including neighbouring Niger as well as Burkina Faso and Mali, told Paris and other Western powers to&nbsp;<a href="https://www.reutersconnect.com/all?search=all%3AL2N3FU0I9&amp;linkedFromStory=true" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">remove their troops</a>&nbsp;and turned&nbsp;<a href="https://www.reutersconnect.com/all?search=all%3AL2N3GK399&amp;linkedFromStory=true" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">to Moscow for backing</a>.



The priorities of regional and Western powers will be to push for stability and shore up their positions in the country, analysts say.



&#8220;Chad is just too strategic at the moment for the West to allow Russia to get an opening,&#8221; Ulf Laessing, head of the Sahel programme at the Konrad Adenauer Foundation, said.



It is not just strategic in terms of security, but also on the hot-button issue of migration.



Chad has accepted a huge influx of refugees from Sudan, where civil war has created the&nbsp;<a href="https://www.reutersconnect.com/all?search=all%3AL5N3GN0S4&amp;linkedFromStory=true" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">world&#8217;s largest displacement crisis</a>. Laessing said some refugees have crossed to Niger, which last year repealed a law aimed at slowing migration to Europe.



&#8220;It&#8217;s another reason for Western countries to keep the relationship with Chad despite the dismal human rights record,&#8221; he added.



An election win would bolster Deby&#8217;s credentials as an ally. &#8220;Western policy makers can say at least he was elected,&#8221; Laessing said.



There are fears the turmoil could be testing old ties in the oil-producing country&nbsp;that lies&nbsp;next to the war-torn states of Sudan, Libya and Central African Republic and the economic powerhouse of Nigeria.



Mahamat Idriss Deby, who took on the title of interim president after his takeover, met French President Emmanuel Macron in Paris in October last year. He also met Russian President Vladimir Putin in Moscow&nbsp;<a href="https://www.reutersconnect.com/all?search=all%3AL8N3EE1YQ&amp;linkedFromStory=true" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">in January</a>.



In April, Chad&#8217;s air force chief&nbsp;<a href="https://www.reutersconnect.com/all?search=all%3AL2N3GY33I&amp;linkedFromStory=true" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">ordered the U.S.</a>&nbsp;to halt activities at an air base near the capital N&#8217;Djamena, saying there was a problem with their paperwork.



Weeks later, the U.S. announced a temporary&nbsp;<a href="https://www.reutersconnect.com/all?search=all%3AL2N3GY33I&amp;linkedFromStory=true" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">withdrawal</a>&nbsp;of at least some of its troops and said it would continue with a review of security operations after the vote.



PROTESTS, RIVALS, VIOLENCE



Concerns about human rights have also mounted since the younger Deby&#8217;s takeover.



He initially promised an 18-month transition after his father&#8217;s death, but his government later adopted resolutions that postponed&nbsp;<a href="https://www.reutersconnect.com/all?search=all%3AL5N3FC73Q&amp;linkedFromStory=true" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">elections</a>&nbsp;and allowed him to run for president.



The delay triggered protests that security forces violently quelled, killing&nbsp;<a href="https://www.reutersconnect.com/all?search=all%3AL8N31L2NU&amp;linkedFromStory=true" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">around 50 civilians</a>.



Opposition figure Yaya Dillo was&nbsp;<a href="https://www.reutersconnect.com/all?search=all%3AL5N3FE5TP&amp;linkedFromStory=true" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">shot and killed</a>&nbsp;in N&#8217;Djamena on Feb. 28, the day the election date was announced. The opposition has called Dillo&#8217;s death an assassination and forensic experts have said he was&nbsp;<a href="https://www.reutersconnect.com/all?search=all%3AL5N3FX5DS&amp;linkedFromStory=true" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">likely shot at point-blank range</a>.



Chadian authorities said he was killed during an exchange of fire with security forces who had been sent to detain him for alleged involvement in clashes.



One of Deby&#8217;s most prominent challengers on Monday will be Succes Masra &#8211; a political opponent who spent a year in exile from 2022-2023, then shocked Chadians by agreeing to become Deby&#8217;s&nbsp;<a href="https://www.reutersconnect.com/all?search=all%3AL1N3DR0AN&amp;linkedFromStory=true" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">prime minister</a>.



He will also be running against former prime minister Albert Pahimi Padacke and seven other candidates, including Lydie Beassemda, the only woman going for the top job.



&#8220;Masra&#8217;s decision &#8230; was a bit surprising, because, during the demonstrations and the deaths, people were saying they wanted change and they saw Succes Masra as the face of change,&#8221; Babacar Ndiaye, research director at think tank WATHI, said.



Some opposition parties and civil society groups have called for a boycott of the vote, saying Deby and his allies control the main institutions of power and could influence the process.



&#8220;This is an election to consecrate the reign of the current leader of the transition,&#8221; Abderramane Goussoumian, head of the civil society network CSAPR, said.



But for Abakar Moussa Seid, a member of the opposition National Rally for Democracy in Chad party, a boycott would amount to a surrender.



&#8220;The only democratic way to end the perpetuation of the power of the Deby dynasty is through the ballot box,&#8221; he said.



(Editing by Bate Felix and Andrew Heavens)

Chad’s interim President Deby attends his presidential campaign rally in Moundou

Chad prepares to vote in a coup-hit region, wary allies look on

Here’s how floodplain buyouts work

<figure class="wp-block-image size-large"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" width="820" height="547" src="https://cms.cnbcafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/07/PKJQ7JMDLFNENCLG7LH25JBXNY-1-820x547.jpg" alt="" class="wp-image-426016" srcset="https://cms.cnbcafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/07/PKJQ7JMDLFNENCLG7LH25JBXNY-1-820x547.jpg 820w, https://cms.cnbcafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/07/PKJQ7JMDLFNENCLG7LH25JBXNY-1-300x200.jpg 300w, https://cms.cnbcafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/07/PKJQ7JMDLFNENCLG7LH25JBXNY-1-135x90.jpg 135w, https://cms.cnbcafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/07/PKJQ7JMDLFNENCLG7LH25JBXNY-1-768x512.jpg 768w, https://cms.cnbcafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/07/PKJQ7JMDLFNENCLG7LH25JBXNY-1-1536x1025.jpg 1536w, https://cms.cnbcafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/07/PKJQ7JMDLFNENCLG7LH25JBXNY-1-scaled.jpg 2048w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 820px) 100vw, 820px" /><figcaption class="wp-element-caption">A labourer dehusks rice before loading it in bags at a processing unit in the town of Fanaye, on the outskirts of Saint Louis, Senegal September 13, 2022. REUTERS/Zohra Bensemra</figcaption></figure>



SINGAPORE, May 2 (Reuters)&nbsp;&#8211;&nbsp;Global rice supplies have stabilised after last year&#8217;s rally, although the market remains vulnerable to risks from dry weather caused by the El Nino, a senior executive at commodity merchant Louis Dreyfus Co (LDC) said.



Rice prices in key Asian export hubs&nbsp;RI-THBKN5-P1,&nbsp;RI-VNBKN5-P1&nbsp;have eased in recent weeks after climbing last year to their highest&nbsp;<a href="https://www.reutersconnect.com/all?search=all%3AL4N3AB12M&amp;linkedFromStory=true" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">since 2008</a>&nbsp;following an export ban by India, the world&#8217;s biggest shipper.



&#8220;It does seem like we went through a very tight situation. You had the export ban in India and Indonesia came to buy a very large volume of rice,&#8221; Rubens Marques, LDC&#8217;s chief executive for South and Southeast Asia, said in an interview.



&#8220;The combination of these two factors, I think, was too much for the market to handle, which ended up pushing prices up. It does seem like the supply and prices have stabilised.&#8221;



India&#8217;s July export ban ended a decade of price stability for the world&#8217;s most-widely consumed staple and heightened food inflation pressure.



Marques said rice supplies remain vulnerable to adverse weather.



&#8220;We cannot deny that climate change has had an impact and may still have an impact in terms of having this El Nino and having drier than expected weather,&#8221; he said.



The&nbsp;<a href="https://www.reutersconnect.com/all?search=all%3AL2N3GY40S&amp;linkedFromStory=true" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">El Nino weather phenomenon</a>&nbsp;is a warming of the Pacific Ocean waters along the equator off the coast of South America. The pattern typically causes hot,&nbsp;dry weather in Asia, impacting vast swathes of rice growing regions.



The market is focusing in the coming months on production from irrigated crops.



&#8220;We need to keep an eye on the levels of reservoirs in some of the key producing countries. In May, June, we should know a bit more about what is going to happen with the irrigated crops,&#8221; he said.



LDC, among the biggest rice merchants, supplies buyers in Asia, Africa and the Middle East.



WEATHER RISK



The unpredictability of weather patterns fuelled by climate change is leading to further supply disruption.



&#8220;I think the biggest thing about El Nino, and it&#8217;s not talked enough about, is the unpredictability of the weather events, he said.



&#8220;The weather events have always been there, but it&#8217;s now how unpredictable it has become and how difficult it has become for the trade to basically solve those imbalances,&#8221; he said.



Last year&#8217;s price rally led to lower rice demand from some countries.



&#8220;You have to keep in mind that a lot of the rice in India ends up in Africa, which is a very price-sensitive market,&#8221; he said. &#8220;And on the way up, I think the market has done its job of rationing demand.&#8221;



India&#8217;s export prices fell to their lowest in over three months last week on subdued demand and ample supplies, while Thailand&#8217;s prices remained largely flat.&nbsp;RIC/AS



For the wheat market, the coming months are crucial for northern hemisphere crops, Marques said.



Benchmark prices&nbsp;Wv1&nbsp;climbed nearly 8% in April, following dryness in parts of Russia and the United States.



&#8220;I don&#8217;t know how much weather premium is already priced in,&#8221; he said. &#8220;There&#8217;s upside potential if you see less than expected rains in the northern hemisphere.&#8221;



Chicago wheat futures edged higher on Thursday as traders assessed whether rainfall in U.S. and Russian crop areas was enough to alleviate dryness that threatens yields.&nbsp;GRA/



(Reporting by Naveen Thukral and Tony Munroe; Editing by Christian Schmollinger)

PKJQ7JMDLFNENCLG7LH25JBXNY-1

Global rice market stable but weather risk remains, Louis Dreyfus exec says

<figure class="wp-block-image size-full"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" width="960" height="640" src="https://cms.cnbcafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/06/XXRFTEFP65IXHOOVNQYDKAK3A4.jpg" alt="" class="wp-image-417776" srcset="https://cms.cnbcafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/06/XXRFTEFP65IXHOOVNQYDKAK3A4.jpg 960w, https://cms.cnbcafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/06/XXRFTEFP65IXHOOVNQYDKAK3A4-300x200.jpg 300w, https://cms.cnbcafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/06/XXRFTEFP65IXHOOVNQYDKAK3A4-820x547.jpg 820w, https://cms.cnbcafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/06/XXRFTEFP65IXHOOVNQYDKAK3A4-135x90.jpg 135w, https://cms.cnbcafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/06/XXRFTEFP65IXHOOVNQYDKAK3A4-768x512.jpg 768w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 960px) 100vw, 960px" /><figcaption class="wp-element-caption">Armed Forces of the Democratic Republic of the Congo (FARDC) soldiers take their position following renewed fighting near the Congolese border with Rwanda, outside Goma in the North Kivu province of the Democratic Republic of Congo May 28, 2022. REUTERS/Djaffar Sabiti/File Photo</figcaption></figure>



KINSHASA, May 2 (Reuters) &#8211; M23 rebels in eastern Democratic Republic of Congo have taken control of Rubaya, a key mining town for the smartphone mineral coltan, following days of intense fighting, a rebel spokesman said.



Congo&#8217;s east has been plagued by violence since the 1990s, killing millions as struggles over national identity, ethnicity, and resources saw neighbouring countries invade and a myriad of armed groups spring up.



Willy Ngoma, the Tutsi-led M23 military spokesman, told Reuters the town, in North Kivu, was under their control after they went after other armed groups in the region including the Forces for the Liberation of Rwanda, which is composed of ethnic Hutus.



Congo&#8217;s army spokesman for its operations against the rebel group, Lieutenant Colonel Guillaume Njike, told Reuters it could not confirm if the rebels had seized the town.



&#8220;We are in the process of cross-checking since yesterday whether or not it has fallen to the hands of the M23 rebels,&#8221; Njike said.



A spokesman for Congo&#8217;s government did not respond to Reuters request for comments.



Most of Congo&#8217;s mineral resources are concentrated in the east, where insecurity has worsened since the M23 made a major comeback in March 2022.



Rubaya holds rich deposits of tantalum, which is extracted from coltan and which is a critical energy transition mineral also used in the manufacture of smartphones, laptops and game consoles.



The M23 have already taken control of Rubaya twice for a few days since their current offensive began.



The Congolese government, U.N. officials and Western powers have accused Rwanda of providing support for M23, which Rwanda has repeatedly denied.



A youth leader in the town told Reuters by telephone that the town was encircled by the rebels.



&#8220;There is a large displacement of the population because the clashes are intense,&#8221; Clovis Mafare said, adding that the town&#8217;s mining quarries were not occupied.



Rubaya was previously under the control of a pro-government militia group known as the Wazalendo.



The United Nations said in December that Wazalendo armed groups controlled sites within main exploitation perimeters, compromising the tin, tantalum and tungsten supply chain.



Conflicts have arisen over the control of the illicit trade in tin and gold as well as in coltan and tantalum &#8211; all mined in Congo before being smuggled out through neighbouring Rwanda, Uganda and Burundi.



Congo&#8217;s government is&nbsp;<a href="https://www.reutersconnect.com/all?search=all%3AL2N3GY202&amp;linkedFromStory=true" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">currently pushing Apple</a>&nbsp;for more information about its supply chain over concerns it may be tainted with conflict minerals. Apple has said it found no basis to conclude any smelters or refiners in its supply chain financed or benefited armed groups in Congo or an adjoining country.



(Reporting by Sonia Rolley, Erikas Mwisi Kambale and Ange Kasongo; Writing by Bate Felix and Sofia Christensen; Editing by Alison Williams)

XXRFTEFP65IXHOOVNQYDKAK3A4

Congo M23 rebels claim control of smartphone mineral mining town

<figure class="wp-block-image size-large"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" width="820" height="549" src="https://cms.cnbcafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/06/7E5H4JHT7JIDHHBALK7PSZDXSI-820x549.jpg" alt="" class="wp-image-425202" srcset="https://cms.cnbcafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/06/7E5H4JHT7JIDHHBALK7PSZDXSI-820x549.jpg 820w, https://cms.cnbcafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/06/7E5H4JHT7JIDHHBALK7PSZDXSI-300x201.jpg 300w, https://cms.cnbcafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/06/7E5H4JHT7JIDHHBALK7PSZDXSI-134x90.jpg 134w, https://cms.cnbcafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/06/7E5H4JHT7JIDHHBALK7PSZDXSI-768x514.jpg 768w, https://cms.cnbcafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/06/7E5H4JHT7JIDHHBALK7PSZDXSI-1536x1028.jpg 1536w, https://cms.cnbcafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/06/7E5H4JHT7JIDHHBALK7PSZDXSI-scaled.jpg 2048w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 820px) 100vw, 820px" /><figcaption class="wp-element-caption">South African Rand coins are seen in this photo illustration . REUTERS/Mike Hutchings</figcaption></figure>



JOHANNESBURG, May 2 (Reuters)&nbsp;&#8211;&nbsp;The South African rand strengthened on Thursday after the U.S. Federal Reserve held interest rates steady as expected and reiterated inflationary concerns.



At 0742 GMT the rand traded at 18.5050 against the dollar&nbsp;ZAR=D3, 0.68% stronger than its previous close.



The dollar index&nbsp;=USD&nbsp;was last trading down 0.1% against a basket of currencies.



The Fed on&nbsp;<a href="https://www.reutersconnect.com/all?search=all%3AL1N3H31SH&amp;linkedFromStory=true" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Wednesday</a>&nbsp;signalled it is still leaning towards eventual reductions in borrowing costs, but it placed a red flag on recent inflation readings that could delay any cuts to interest rates.



The focus for South African investors on Thursday will be a manufacturing sector purchasing managers&#8217; index and April vehicles sales data.



An absence of load-shedding (power cuts) in April would have boosted manufacturing, ETM Analytics said in a research note.



On the stock market, the Top-40&nbsp;.JTOPI&nbsp;index and the broader all-share&nbsp;.JALSH&nbsp;index were both up about 1% in early trade.



South Africa&#8217;s benchmark 2030 government bond&nbsp;ZAR2030=&nbsp;was stronger in early deals, with the yield down 6 basis points at 10.615%.



(Reporting by Bhargav AcharyaEditing by David Goodman)

South African Rand coins are seen in this photo illustration

South African rand strengthens as Fed keeps rates on hold

<figure class="wp-block-image size-large"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" width="820" height="486" src="https://cms.cnbcafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/05/Carbon-credit-standards-approval-extended-to-98-of-market-820x486.jpg" alt="" class="wp-image-482229" srcset="https://cms.cnbcafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/05/Carbon-credit-standards-approval-extended-to-98-of-market-820x486.jpg 820w, https://cms.cnbcafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/05/Carbon-credit-standards-approval-extended-to-98-of-market-300x178.jpg 300w, https://cms.cnbcafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/05/Carbon-credit-standards-approval-extended-to-98-of-market-152x90.jpg 152w, https://cms.cnbcafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/05/Carbon-credit-standards-approval-extended-to-98-of-market-768x455.jpg 768w, https://cms.cnbcafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/05/Carbon-credit-standards-approval-extended-to-98-of-market-1536x911.jpg 1536w, https://cms.cnbcafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/05/Carbon-credit-standards-approval-extended-to-98-of-market-scaled.jpg 2048w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 820px) 100vw, 820px" /><figcaption class="wp-element-caption">FILE PHOTO: The sun shines above high tension power lines in an industrial area of west Sydney July 12, 2011. REUTERS/Daniel Munoz</figcaption></figure>



LONDON, May 2 (Reuters)&nbsp;&#8211;&nbsp;Five of the world&#8217;s largest carbon credit programmes have now been given initial approval by a body tasked with raising standards in the market for carbon offsets, where some of the biggest buyers include Microsoft, Salesforce and Amazon.



Integrity Council for Voluntary Carbon Markets (ICVCM) has added Verra and Architecture for REDD+ Transactions (ART) to its list which meet its Core-Carbon Principles rule book.



Allowing companies to buy credits from projects that lock carbon away, such as mangrove restoration, and use them to offset their emissions is seen as an important way to help developing countries protect the environment.



But growth has been held back by challenges including concerns over the origination, credibility and efficacy of certain credits, and the claims made about buying them.



ICVCM, which is backed by Bezos Earth Fund and Children&#8217;s Investment Fund Foundation, is working to address these.



Pedro Barata, co-chair of the expert panel for ICVCM told Reuters that its standards make a compelling case that companies can invest in &#8220;high quality&#8221; carbon credits, without needing to worry about accusations of so-called greenwashing.



Adding Verra and ART to ICVCM&#8217;s approved list, which includes ACR, CAR and Gold Standard, means its governance and transparency standards now cover programmes which have a 98% share of the market, based on carbon credits retired in 2023.



It marks the first step in a process that will see Core Carbon Principle-labelled credits issued in the market and comes as part of efforts to scale-up the voluntary market for buying and selling carbon offsets by setting rules for what high quality credits and appropriate offsetting activities look like.



ICVCM&#8217;s next step is its ongoing assessment of the different methodologies carbon crediting programmes use to produce credits which range from afforestation to cooking stoves.



It is working through 100 such methodologies and expects to announce its first decisions in June.



(Reporting by Virginia Furness; Editing by Alexander Smith)

The sun shines above high tension power lines in an industrial area of west Sydney

Carbon credit standards approval extended to 98% of market

<figure class="wp-block-image size-large"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" width="820" height="547" src="https://cms.cnbcafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/05/OECD-upgrades-global-growth-outlook-as-U.S.-outperforms-820x547.jpg" alt="" class="wp-image-482163" srcset="https://cms.cnbcafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/05/OECD-upgrades-global-growth-outlook-as-U.S.-outperforms-820x547.jpg 820w, https://cms.cnbcafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/05/OECD-upgrades-global-growth-outlook-as-U.S.-outperforms-300x200.jpg 300w, https://cms.cnbcafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/05/OECD-upgrades-global-growth-outlook-as-U.S.-outperforms-135x90.jpg 135w, https://cms.cnbcafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/05/OECD-upgrades-global-growth-outlook-as-U.S.-outperforms-768x512.jpg 768w, https://cms.cnbcafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/05/OECD-upgrades-global-growth-outlook-as-U.S.-outperforms-1536x1024.jpg 1536w, https://cms.cnbcafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/05/OECD-upgrades-global-growth-outlook-as-U.S.-outperforms-scaled.jpg 2048w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 820px) 100vw, 820px" /><figcaption class="wp-element-caption">File photo: People cross the intersection of SW 8th Steet and Brickell Ave. at the Brickell neighborhood, known as the financial district, in Miami, Florida, U.S., February 23, 2023. REUTERS/Marco Bello/File photo</figcaption></figure>



PARIS, May 2 (Reuters)&nbsp;&#8211;&nbsp;The global economy is growing faster than expected only a few months ago thanks to resilient U.S. activity while inflation is converging more quickly than expected with central banks&#8217; targets, the OECD said on Thursday, upgrading its outlook.



The global economy would maintain the 3.1% growth rate seen last year and pick up marginally to 3.2% next year, the Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development said, upgrading forecasts dating from February for growth of 2.9% this year and 3% in 2025.



A faster than expected fall in inflation set the stage for major central banks to begin rate cuts in the second half of the year while also fuelling gains in consumers&#8217; incomes, the OECD said in its latest Economic Outlook.



However, the speed of recoveries diverged widely, the OECD warned, saying lingering sluggishness in Europe and Japan was being offset by the United States, whose growth forecast was hiked to 2.6% this year from a previous estimate of 2.1%.



Next year U.S. growth was expected to cool to a rate of 1.8%, up slightly from 1.7% in February.



Boosted by fiscal stimulus, China&#8217;s economy was also expected to grow faster than expected with its growth now forecast at 4.9% in 2024 and 4.5% in 2025, up from 4.7% and 4.2% respectively in February.



While weakness in Germany would continue to weigh on the broader euro zone, the bloc&#8217;s growth was projected to pick up from 0.7% this year to 1.5% next year as lower inflation boosts households&#8217; purchasing power and paves the way for rate cuts. The OECD had previously forecast euro zone growth of 0.6% this year and 1.3% in 2025.



Britain&#8217;s outlook was one of the few to be downgraded with the OECD now forecasting only 0.4% this year compared with 0.7% previously. As interest rates start coming lower from the third quarter of this year, UK growth was seen picking up to 1% in 2025, compared with 1.2% expected in February.



Meanwhile, in Japan, income gains, easy monetary policy and temporary tax cuts would help its growth rate to accelerate from 0.5% in 2024 to 1.1% in 2025, compared with forecasts of 1% for both years previously, the OECD said.



(Reporting by Leigh Thomas; editing by Philippa Fletcher)

People cross the intersection of SW 8th Steet and Brickell Ave. at the Brickell neighborhood, known as the financial district, in Miami

OECD upgrades global growth outlook as U.S. outperforms

Countries in South and Southeast Asia are feeling the heat

Why Hundreds Of U.S. Banks Are At Risk Of Failing

Fedspeak: Does The Federal Reserve Talk Too Much?

<figure class="wp-block-image size-large"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" width="820" height="547" src="https://cms.cnbcafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/11/V5IRAFHMYRPRVBHQAI5QG5X7UQ-820x547.jpg" alt="" class="wp-image-413663" srcset="https://cms.cnbcafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/11/V5IRAFHMYRPRVBHQAI5QG5X7UQ-820x547.jpg 820w, https://cms.cnbcafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/11/V5IRAFHMYRPRVBHQAI5QG5X7UQ-300x200.jpg 300w, https://cms.cnbcafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/11/V5IRAFHMYRPRVBHQAI5QG5X7UQ-135x90.jpg 135w, https://cms.cnbcafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/11/V5IRAFHMYRPRVBHQAI5QG5X7UQ-768x512.jpg 768w, https://cms.cnbcafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/11/V5IRAFHMYRPRVBHQAI5QG5X7UQ.jpg 960w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 820px) 100vw, 820px" /><figcaption class="wp-element-caption">A gas station attendant pumps fuel into a customer&#8217;s car at the NNPC Mega petrol station in Abuja, Nigeria March 19, 2020. REUTERS/Afolabi Sotunde</figcaption></figure>



LAGOS, April 30 (Reuters)&nbsp;&#8211;&nbsp;Gasoline shortages persisted in Nigeria&#8217;s major cities on Tuesday, causing a sharp increase in prices and exacerbating the country&#8217;s cost-of-living crisis.



Prices in some retail outlets in Lagos and Abuja rose above 850 naira, while those outside major cities, such as Kano, soared above 1000 naira, though the government-owned oil firm, NNPC Ltd, which imports the products sells at an average price of 617 naira.



President Bola Tinubu&#8217;s government last year removed subsidies and allowed private firms to import but foreign currency shortages and a cap on the price of petrol have meant NNPC remains the sole importer.



An NNPC spokesperson said that some outlets were taking advantage of this situation to maximise profits.



Gasoline is widely used in cars and to power generators for households and small businesses and the current shortage is weighing on the economy, which is already struggling with the highest inflation rate in 28 years.



Many commuters were left stranded waiting for buses that were stuck in long queues at various retail stations.



Analysts say the price of basic food items would see a sharp increase if shortages persist. This will add to frustrations after the government raised electricity tariffs for some consumers.



&#8220;You have the money for transport but no bus, you have the money for to buy fuel but there is scarcity. No light (electricity), heat everywhere, and high costs of goods. What did we do to deserve our leaders,&#8221; someone posted on the X platform.



The NNPC has attributed the shortages to logistical challenges, assuring customers that it has more than 1.5 billion litres of petrol, which was enough to last at least 30 days. But it is in debt and is unable to produce enough crude for its refineries.



(Reporting by Isaac Anyaogu, Editing by Louise Heavens)

V5IRAFHMYRPRVBHQAI5QG5X7UQ

Nigerian gasoline prices soar as shortages worsen cost of living crisis

<figure class="wp-block-image size-full"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" width="3956" height="2632" src="https://cms.cnbcafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/04/VQAZCQXPCFMLTANSLSXV7JVCKA.avif" alt="" class="wp-image-481603"/><figcaption class="wp-element-caption">A man poses with a handful of Zimbabwean dollars at a bank in central Harare, June 15, 2015. Zimbabweans began exchanging old notes of local dollars for U.S. dollars, as President Robert Mugabe&#8217;s government seeks to officially bury the worthless currency. REUTERS/Philimon Bulawayo/FILE PHOTO</figcaption></figure>



HARARE, April 30 (Reuters)&nbsp;&#8211;&nbsp;Zimbabwe&#8217;s new gold-backed currency came into general circulation on Tuesday amid promises by monetary authorities to keep the money supply in check as they struggle to contain inflation.



The southern African country dumped the Zimdollar earlier this month after it lost more than 70% of its value against the U.S. dollar.



The new currency, the Zimbabwe Gold (ZiG), is backed by gold, other precious minerals and the U.S. dollar. It was trading on Tuesday at 13.4 to the dollar, little changed from previous levels on the formal market.



Long queues formed outside banks and at Automated Teller Machines (ATMs) while others used the new currency to buy goods in supermarkets.



While some Zimbabweans have expressed mistrust over the new currency, others such as Melda Mudavanhu, a 50-year-old civil servant, remain optimistic.



&#8220;If we support the currency, since it&#8217;s the first one of its kind, this currency will succeed. Getting rid of the money changers is also welcome because they were a menace,&#8221; Mudavanhu said.



Ahead of the ZiG&#8217;s introduction, authorities moved to arrest illegal foreign currency dealers, accusing them of charging a premium on the ZiG against the greenback.



The Reserve Bank of Zimbabwe on Monday set ZiG 3,000 as a daily withdrawal limit for individuals as it tries to contain the money supply.



A total of ZiG 80 million is currently on the market, according to the central bank.



The central bank&#8217;s Monetary Policy Committee pledged on Monday to support a tight monetary policy stance.



The ZiG, Zimbabwe&#8217;s fourth attempt at currency reform in a decade, has remained stable on the formal market since its introduction.



(Reporting by Nyasha Chingono, Editing by Bhargav Acharya and Gareth Jones)

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Oil majors offered faster Nigerian exit if they pay for cleanup

Anglo CEO meets S.Africa mines minister after BHP’s takeover proposal

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Zimbabwe’s sole nickel mine placed under administration

Fed and ECB divergence on rate cuts could spell trouble for the euro, economist says

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Global rice market stable but weather risk remains, Louis Dreyfus exec says

Congo M23 rebels claim control of smartphone mineral mining town

South African rand strengthens as Fed keeps rates on hold

Carbon credit standards approval extended to 98% of market

OECD upgrades global growth outlook as U.S. outperforms

Countries in South and Southeast Asia are feeling the heat

Why Hundreds Of U.S. Banks Are At Risk Of Failing

Fedspeak: Does The Federal Reserve Talk Too Much?

Nigerian gasoline prices soar as shortages worsen cost of living crisis

Zimbabwe’s new gold-backed currency enters circulation

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Oil majors offered faster Nigerian exit if they pay for cleanup

Anglo CEO meets S.Africa mines minister after BHP’s takeover proposal

Georgia rocked by protests over ‘Russian law’

Zimbabwe’s sole nickel mine placed under administration

Fed and ECB divergence on rate cuts could spell trouble for the euro, economist says

Chad prepares to vote in a coup-hit region, wary allies look on

Here’s how floodplain buyouts work

Global rice market stable but weather risk remains, Louis Dreyfus exec says

Congo M23 rebels claim control of smartphone mineral mining town

South African rand strengthens as Fed keeps rates on hold

Carbon credit standards approval extended to 98% of market

OECD upgrades global growth outlook as U.S. outperforms

Countries in South and Southeast Asia are feeling the heat

Why Hundreds Of U.S. Banks Are At Risk Of Failing

Fedspeak: Does The Federal Reserve Talk Too Much?

Nigerian gasoline prices soar as shortages worsen cost of living crisis

Zimbabwe’s new gold-backed currency enters circulation

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