
The Week Ahead
SBM Intelligence's take on Nigeria and Africa brought to you every week.
The Week Ahead
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Nigeria’s non-oil exports rose 19.6% to $3.23 billion in H1 2025 from $2.7 billion a year earlier. Export volumes reached 4.04 million metric tons, with cocoa products making up 35% of the value. Could this momentum signal a lasting shift in Nigeria’s economic structure?
Vice President Kashim Shettima announced that President Bola Tinubu has directed the planting of 100 million oil palm trees nationwide, alongside plans for an oil palm processing plant in Ondo State, to boost agriculture and diversify Nigeria’s economy. Could this scale of investment make Nigeria a major global player in palm oil production? And will local farmers be equipped to benefit from the opportunities it creates?
The U.S. is looking for ways to stop deadly attacks on Christians in Africa. Recent violence includes 49 killed in the DRC and 27 in Nigeria, with militants forcing people to flee their homes. Over 150,000 have died in the last decade. Survivors say they are told to convert or be killed. Will global action help end the killings? Or is this just local politics at play?