Africa: Government, Public Sector

The European Union is considering a new foreign investment regime as part of a potential Industrial Accelerator Act that would require pre-clearance for certain investments in strategic EU manufacturing sectors, including greenfield investments. The proposed mandatory clearance regime introduces conditions affecting ownership, technology transfer, workforce composition, and supply chains that could fundamentally reshape how foreign investors structure and operate their EU investments. As the proposal moves

The European Union is fundamentally reshaping how it regulates space infrastructure, moving beyond viewing it as merely a commercial or scientific endeavor to treating it as critical digital infrastructure essential to modern economies.

An individual or entity that desires, intends, or is actively negotiating to buy a parcel of land in the Federal Capital Territory (“FCT”) must apply great care and show diligence in every stage of the transaction.

Algeria's deployment of air patrol squadrons to Niger following an attempted coup marks a significant shift in regional dynamics, as Algiers pursues an assertive Sahel policy to counter Morocco's expanding influence. This strategic competition threatens to complicate US counterterrorism efforts and reshape the geopolitical landscape across West Africa's critical energy corridors.

Russia's Africa Corps successfully defended Niger's military junta from a coup attempt in August 2024, demonstrating Moscow's deepening security role in the Sahel region. This analysis examines how Russia's entrenchment as a regime protector complicates US counterterrorism objectives and critical mineral access strategies, while exposing the Alliance of Sahel States' inability to provide mutual defense without external support.

The European Union's 20th and 21st sanctions packages against Russia mark a fundamental shift in enforcement strategy, moving beyond traditional designation lists to systematically target the financial infrastructure enabling Russia's war economy. Financial institutions now face heightened compliance obligations requiring them to identify how transactions, financing arrangements, and digital assets may indirectly facilitate sanctioned economic activity across payment channels, banking relationships, crypto-

The European Commission has proposed replacing the EU's three public procurement directives with a single, directly applicable regulation that would fundamentally transform how public contracts are awarded across Member States. This comprehensive reform aims to simplify procurement procedures, strengthen economic security through European preference principles, and elevate environmental and social considerations to strategic priorities. The proposal introduces extensive digitalisation measures and consolida

The August Policy Trend Trail examines policy developments aimed at improving Nigeria’s economic potential through consumer protection, digital infrastructure, and the operationalisation of existing policy frameworks. The policies considered span across various sectors such as real estate, corporate commercial, taxation, public, postal, and digital economy sectors. Notwithstanding the diversity of sectors, the policy analysis reveals a shared common thread: the need to address structural gaps that have long constrained Nigeria’s economic growth and reduced consumer confidence. This Policy Trail examines not only the substance of each reform, but also the practical implementation questions that will ultimately determine their impact.

Nigerian port investments demand rigorous legal due diligence beyond cargo volumes and concession terms. From land title verification under multiple overlapping regimes to navigating the new NPERA regulatory framework, investors must understand what they're actually acquiring—whether it's freehold title, a lease, or operational rights under a BOOT concession that reverts to government at term end.

In a thought-provoking examination of transformation and merit in professional settings, Nomlayo Mabhena Mlilo explores how previously disadvantaged groups, particularly women, often perceive their achievements solely through the lens of transformation initiatives rather than recognizing their own merit. The piece challenges the notion that transformation objectives and merit are mutually exclusive, addressing the psychological impact of affirmative action policies on beneficiaries' self-perception.

When pollution damages Nigerian communities, who bears legal responsibility and what remedies are available? This analysis examines how Nigerian courts establish environmental liability, exploring statutory frameworks like the Oil Pipelines Act, tort law principles, and the evolving intersection of environmental harm with constitutional human rights protections.

Gender-based violence persists not just as isolated incidents, but as a systemic crisis enabled by institutional gaps, inadequate policies, and social norms that fail to protect survivors. Njeri Migwi, Founder of Usikimye, shares six years of frontline experience revealing why survivors struggle to leave, why cases rarely reach justice, and what structural changes are needed beyond public outrage.