Ethiopian Premier Defends Currency Float Decision, Rejects Devaluation Claims

The Ethiopian Prime Minister, Abiy Ahmed, has defended the decision to float the birr and insisted that this move does not amount to the devaluation of the currency. Ahmed stated that the intention is to unify the official and parallel market exchange rates. Reports suggest that Ethiopia’s decision to float the birr was promptly rewarded […]

Nigeria-China Currency Swap: Activist Lawyer Accuses IMF and World Bank of ‘Economic Sabotage’ to Promote US Dollar, Urges Nigeria to Join BRICS

Nigerian human rights activist and lawyer, Femi Falana, has accused the International Monetary Fund (IMF) and the World Bank (WB) of sabotaging the currency swap arrangement between China and Nigeria. Falana said the Nigerian central bank and the two global financial institutions are helping to perpetuate “the dominance of the United States dollar in Nigeria.” […]

IMF Says Sub-Saharan Africa Already Feeling Effects of the ‘Big Funding Squeeze’

Countries from the Sub-Saharan Africa (SSA) region face a “big funding squeeze” which is forcing some of them to cut spending on health, education, and infrastructure. According to Abebe Aemro Selassie, people from the region are already “feeling the effects of the funding crisis.” The IMF says countries from the SSA region should also consider […]

Report: Zambian Currency Poised for First Quarterly Decline Since 2020

The Zambian kwacha, one of the best-performing currencies in 2022, is now expected to see its first quarterly decline in nearly two years. The Zambian leader Hakainde Hichilema claimed that stalled debt restructuring negotiations are adding to pressure against the local currency. Zambia’s Debt Default After ending 2022 as one of Africa’s best-performing currencies, the […]

Report: Somalia to Fight Inflation and Counterfeiters With New Banknotes

According to the deputy governor of the Somalian central bank, Ali Yasin Wardheere, the institution plans to fight inflation and currency counterfeiters with newly issued shilling banknotes. The bank reportedly said it hopes to complete the process of replacing old and high-value shilling bills with newly designed banknotes in 2024. Preserving the Value of New […]

IMF Blog: Better Regulation of Africa’s Growing Crypto Market Urgently Needed

A well-regulated African cryptocurrency market is needed in order to protect users as well as help countries stop bad actors from using digital assets to circumvent capital controls, the latest post on the IMF blog has said. The blog post reiterated the IMF’s belief that risks to a country are “much greater if crypto is […]

Nigerian Currency Gains Versus US Dollar Days After Tapping All-Time Low

Just a few days after plummeting to its worst exchange rate against the U.S. dollar ever, the Nigerian currency was trading at around 820 units for every dollar on Nov. 8, a report has said. An economist has suggested that the Central Bank of Nigeria’s controversial currency plan is unlikely to halt the naira’s depreciation […]