Abstract: This report examines key developments in African geopolitics, digital finance, and Nigerian socio-political discourse. Subjects embody the reversal of economic flows between China and Africa, PayPal’s return to Nigeria, debates over meals inflation, and reactions to President Tinubu’s public stumble in Turkey.
1. Monetary Reversal: Africa Now a Web Payer to China
Key Discovering:
African international locations are collectively remitting extra to China in debt repayments than they obtain in new loans, marking a historic shift of their monetary relationship.
Evaluation:
In line with knowledge from ONE Knowledge, the web monetary circulate between China and Africa has reversed over the previous decade:
• 2015–2019: Africa acquired roughly $30 billion in web financing from China (new loans exceeded repayments).
• 2020–2024: Africa skilled a web outflow of roughly $22 billion, with repayments exceeding new lending.
Drivers of This Shift:
1. Lowered Chinese language Lending: Beijing has curtailed new loans to low- and middle-income nations amid rising debt misery and inner threat administration.
2. Peak Reimbursement Section: Loans from the Belt and Highway Initiative (BRI) period are maturing, growing debt service obligations.
Implications:
• For African Governments: Tighter fiscal area constrained public funding, and heightened forex dangers as a result of foreign-denominated repayments.
• For Improvement Finance: Multilateral establishments (World Financial institution, regional banks) now account for 56% of web flows to lower-income international locations (2020–24), surpassing bilateral lenders like China.
• For Africa-China relations: The partnership is shifting from debt-driven infrastructure initiatives in the direction of commerce, worth addition (for instance, native mineral processing), and debt restructuring beneath frameworks just like the G20 Widespread Framework.
Listed here are the developments.
1. Discount of Chinese language Debt Publicity. Angola decreased oil-backed Chinese language loans from $19bn to $8bn, aiming to completely repay them by 2028, in keeping with RBC BlueBay Asset Administration.
2. Diversification to Gulf State Financing. Kenya secured a $1.5bn credit score facility from UAE establishments; Center Jap lenders supply options to conventional Western/Chinese language funding.
3. Strengthening Home Capital Markets. Angola plans to allocate 40% of its 2026 borrowing to home markets; Kenya has deepened native market participation.
4. Utilisation of Multilateral Frameworks. African nations advocate for measures akin to a worldwide minimal company tax and use the G20 to deal with excessive capital prices.
5. Pursuit of Continental Self-Financing. The African Union promotes initiatives just like the African Alliance of Multilateral Monetary Establishments to fund continental-scale initiatives.
Quote:
“The swing from web inflows to outflows—totalling $52 billion—indicators a structural realignment. African nations are diversifying companions whereas managing legacy money owed.”
2. PayPal’s Return to Nigeria: Unlocking Digital Earnings
Background:
After almost twenty years of restrictions, PayPal has resumed full operations in Nigeria via a partnership with fintech agency Paga. Beforehand, Nigerian customers might solely ship—not obtain—worldwide funds.
Significance:
• For People: Freelancers and digital employees can now obtain earnings immediately from platforms like Upwork and Fiverr, decreasing reliance on casual channels (crypto, proxy accounts).
• For Companies: Entry to PayPal’s international community expands buyer attain and allows seamless cross-border transactions.
• For the Financial system: Potential improve in formal greenback inflows and validation of Nigeria’s fintech ecosystem maturity.
Public Sentiment:
Whereas extensively welcomed, lingering frustration exists over the extended restrictions. Social media discourse highlights each aid and criticism of PayPal’s delayed market re-entry.
Outlook:
The transfer is anticipated to bolster Nigeria’s digital economic system, although sustained development will depend on complementary insurance policies (e.g., foreign exchange liquidity, cybersecurity).
Tayo Oviosu of Paga shared on X concerning the August 2013 transfer that led to PayPal’s return and its alliance with Paga.
“In August 2013, I emailed the @PayPal crew. Nigeria’s fintech ecosystem was nonetheless younger. @Paga was just some years previous. And the “Africa alternative” wasn’t but a part of most international boardroom conversations. However even then, the chance was clear to us. In that e mail, I shared a easy perception: that Nigeria would turn out to be probably the most essential economies on this planet, and that PayPal and Paga would work collectively to make funds, monetary companies, and international commerce work for Nigerians. I hooked up a presentation outlining how our two firms may collaborate: Paga might energy on-ramps and off-ramps to and from PayPal in Nigeria. The partnership would allow Nigerians to make use of PayPal wherever PayPal is accepted globally. It will additionally allow Nigerian retailers to just accept PayPal for funds.
It will take greater than a decade for that perception to completely materialise.
This second isn’t a few single announcement. It’s about endurance. It’s about constructing strong, trusted native infrastructure. It’s about believing that international platforms scale higher once they work with, not round, native techniques. Partnerships like this don’t occur in a single day. They’re the results of years of conversations, trust-building, regulatory work, and constant displaying up. I’m pleased with the Paga crew for staying the course. I’m grateful to the PayPal crew for believing within the long-term imaginative and prescient. And I’m enthusiastic about what this unlocks for Nigerians collaborating within the international digital economic system.”
It isn’t all excellent news for PayPal on the social media streets in Nigeria. Critics lambast it for staying away for thus lengthy.
3. Nigeria’s Meals Inflation: Political Rhetoric vs. Lived Actuality
The headlines screamed in the course of the week. “Akpabio laments hovering meals costs” or “Senate strikes to defend farmers from value collapse”.
Is Senate President Godswill Akpabio deviating from the Authorities line that reviews decreased inflation?
Akpabio’s public lament about hovering meals costs doesn’t essentially contradict the federal government’s (government department) declare of getting lowered inflation on a macroeconomic scale. Nonetheless, it emphasises a big and painful hole between headline figures and ground-level actuality.
Senate President Akpabio’s lament over rising meals costs underscores the severity of Nigeria’s cost-of-living disaster. It redirects the main focus from financial reviews to the core concern of nationwide political accountability.
Nonetheless, it highlights a vital and painful hole between headline statistics and ground-level actuality.
1. Headline Inflation vs. Meals Inflation: The federal government usually highlights a slowdown within the headline inflation fee (the year-on-year proportion improve within the total Shopper Value Index). Nonetheless, meals inflation is often a selected, risky a part of that index. It’s potential for the general fee to lower barely whereas meals costs hold rising sharply, particularly if costs for different objects (akin to electronics or transport) stabilise. In Nigeria, meals inflation has persistently been increased than the headline fee.
2. The Lag of Statistical Aid: Even when authorities insurance policies start to curb inflation within the macroeconomic knowledge, there’s a vital lag earlier than strange residents really feel the aid within the market. Akpabio’s lament displays the rapid, every day struggling of his constituents, which hasn’t but been alleviated by any top-line statistical enchancment.
3. Political Dynamics: As Senate President, Akpabio is a number one determine within the legislative department. His public criticism can serve a number of functions:
- Reflecting Public Anger: He’s channelling the widespread frustration of the inhabitants.
- Pressuring the Govt: a type of political strain on the manager department (President Tinubu’s administration) to take extra aggressive or quicker motion.
- Distancing and scrutiny: It might probably function a method for the legislature to reveal it’s holding the manager accountable, notably on a matter as very important as meals safety.
In essence, the “contradiction” is much less about factual knowledge and extra about perspective and timing:
• The federal government’s declare is predicated on econometric developments (a possible slight dip in a year-on-year fee).
• Akpabio’s lament is predicated on lived socio-economic actuality (the insufferable value of a bag of rice or beans as we speak in comparison with final month or final yr).
Subsequently, his assertion underscores a key problem: declaring an inflationary “turning level” is politically and socially meaningless if the value of important meals objects stays out of attain for the common Nigerian household.
Nonetheless, for a drained public, such statements shall be judged not by their empathy however by the seen, coordinated actions that observe from each the legislative and government branches to halt the alarming development and supply aid. The credibility of the federal government’s response now relies upon immediately on its capability to deal with this important concern.
4. Tinubu’s Stumble in Turkey: Media, Misinformation, and Public Response
On January 27, 2026, President Bola Tinubu (73) stumbled throughout a welcome ceremony in Ankara. The Presidency attributed it to a “metallic object,” insisting he was “in nice form.”
Media Protection:
• Turkish Shops: A number of mainstream sources reported the incident, together with Anadolu Company, Hürriyet, Sözcü, and TRT Haber. A few of the later-deleted articles, however the footage remained on the Turkish presidency’s social media.
• Nigerian Response: Abike Dabiri-Erewa (NIDCOM chair) claimed Turkish media ignored the story and labelled Nigerian protection “foolish.” This sparked backlash, with residents fact-checking her assertions.
Public Discourse:
• Misinformation Claims: Supporters alleged the video was AI-generated by opposition actors.
• Accountability Calls for: Critics accused officers of “gaslighting” the general public and evading transparency.
• Historic Context: Recall of Tinubu’s earlier fall on Democracy Day 2024 amplified scrutiny.
The incident highlights the intersection of well being transparency, media integrity, and public belief in management. Official makes an attempt to dismiss scrutiny could exacerbate slightly than mitigate reputational dangers.
