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Author name: Business Outlook Africa

Agriculture

Benso Oil Palm Plantation to Pay GHS 0.2420 Final Dividend Per Share for 2025 Financial Year

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  Benso Oil Palm Plantation PLC has announced the payment of a final dividend of GHS 0.2420 per share for the 2025 financial year, subject to shareholder approval at the company’s upcoming Annual General Meeting. According to the company , shareholders registered in the books of BOPP at the close of business on Wednesday May 20, 2026 will qualify for the final dividend with the register of shareholders to be closed from Thursday May 21, 2026 to Friday May 22, 2026, both days inclusive. The ex-dividend date has been set as Monday May 18, 2026. Consequently, an investor purchasing BOPP shares before this date will be entitled to the final dividend. However, an investor buying BOPP shares on or after Monday May 18, 2026 will not be entitled to the final dividend. The proposed dividend of GHS 0.2420 per share, if approved by shareholders, will be paid on 14 July 2026. Benso Oil Palm Plantation PLC is a major Ghanaian agro-industrial company specializing in the cultivation of oil palm and the production of crude palm oil (CPO) and palm kernel (PK).

News

Atlantic Lithium Consents to Transfer of Ewoyaa Rights to China’s Zhejiang Huayou Cobalt

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Atlantic Lithium Limited has provided its consent to an agreement that will see Elevra Lithium Limited transfer all of its rights and interests in the Company’s flagship Ewoyaa Lithium Project in Ghana to Chinese cobalt and lithium giant Zhejiang Huayou Cobalt Co., Limited. In a statement released on May 11, 2026, Elevra -who currently holds a 22.5% interest in Atlantic Lithium’s Ghana lithium portfolio inclusive of the Ewoyaa project following the satisfaction of terms set out in Stage 2 of the Project Agreement announced on August 17, 2023 will Under the agreement, will transfer all of its rights, obligations, title and interests associated with the project and the Ghana portfolio to Huayou — including spodumene concentrate offtake rights. The agreement also provides for reciprocal releases for Atlantic Lithium and Elevra, covering any disputes and mutual representations and warranties customary for an agreement of this nature. Upon completion of the agreement, Huayou will assume sole funding of the Project’s development costs up to the remainder of the sole funding obligations under the Project Agreement — a development Atlantic Lithium says provides a clear pathway for the advancement of the Ewoyaa project and the delivery of its promised benefits to host communities in Ghana’s Central Region. The agreement is not conditional on a separate Scheme of Arrangement announced by the Company with Huayou on May 7, 2026. However Huayou has agreed with Elevra that should the Scheme of Arrangement consideration change within the next three months, the consideration paid under this agreement should reflect the same proportional change. Atlantic Lithium’s Ewoyaa Lithium Project — a lithium spodumene pegmatite discovery in Ghana’s Central Region — is advancing towards production as the country’s first lithium-producing mine. Parliament ratified the Mining Lease for the project in March 2026. The project was previously granted an Environmental Protection Authority permit in September 2024 and a Mine Operating Permit in October 2024.

Profiles

UGBS Professor of Marketing, Kobby Mensah Named Among Top 12 Global Leaders by the Place Brand Observer

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Professor of Marketing at the University of Ghana Business School (UGBS),Prof. Kobby Mensah, has been named among the 2026 Twelve Leaders Shaping Place Branding by The Place Brand Observer(TPBO). This was unveiled on 28th April 2026 by the TPBO’s expert community to recognise and spotlight practitioners, policymakers, and researchers. Prof. Mensah is the only West African tourism development executive featured in this year’s cohort. According to TPBO, “Prof. Kobby Mensah represents a convergence of academic insight and applied leadership in destination development. His move into leading GTDC signals a broader shift in Ghana’s approach, positioning tourism as part of an integrated system connecting investment, innovation and experience design.” Prof. Mensah joins the TPBO Who’s Who in Place Branding, a peer-recognised global network of over 500 professionals operating at the intersection of place, strategy, and leadership. He is a Chartered Marketer with the Chartered Institute of Marketing, and a leading voice on political marketing, digital engagement, and brand positioning in Africa. He is widely credited for pioneering digital tourism education in Ghana. Beyond academia, he serves as Chief Executive Officer of the Ghana Tourism Development Company integrating academic expertise with practical experience to drive national development. His leadership continues to champion innovation, sustainability, and collaborative stakeholder models within Ghana’s tourism ecosystem. Reacting to the recognition, Prof. Mensah stated: “I am humbled to stand alongside colleagues who are redefining how nations and cities build credibility. For Ghana, this is a call to action. This recognition belongs to the team at GTDC, to UGBS, and to every young Ghanaian innovator proving that place branding is not about slogans—it is about systems.” Prof. Mensah was profiled alongside notable global leaders from the Gambia, Estonia, Sweden, the United Kingdom, Chile, Thailand, Sierra Leone, and the United States. All twelve honourees were independently nominated by TPBO’s expert community and will be featured in the Place Brand Leaders Yearbook 2026, scheduled for release. UGBS warmly congratulates Prof. Kobby Mensah on this global recognition and commends his continued contribution to advancing place branding, tourism development and marketing scholarship. Source: https://ugbs.ug.edu.gh

Banking & Finance

First Atlantic Bank PLC to payout GHS 0.29 per share as Dividend for the 2025 Financial Year

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  First Atlantic Bank PLC has announced the payment of a final dividend of GHS 0.29 per share to its shareholders for the 2025 financial year. In a statement released,the bank having recently listed on the Stock Market just last year explained that this follows approval from the Central Bank to payout its first ever dividends. The total amount to be paid out as dividend for the 2025 financial year is One Hundred Million Ghana Cedis (GHS 100,000,000.00) and is expected to be paid out on the 21st of May 2026 rather than the 7th of May 2026, that was communicated earlier in its Annual Report. The Bank explained that the pushback in dividend was as a result of timing of the approval by the Bank of Ghana which occurred on May 6,2027. This comes after the bank demonstrated outstanding financial resilience and growth in the 2025 financial year recording a profit after tax of GH¢482.9 million.

Banking & Finance

Ghana, Rwanda Central Banks in Talks to Ease Cross-Border Fintech Operations

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The National Bank of Rwanda (NBR) has revealed that it is in active discussions with the Bank of Ghana to establish a framework that will allow fintech companies from both countries to operate across each other’s borders. Speaking 3i Africa Summit yesterday,the Deputy Governor of the NBR, Nick Barigye, made the highlighted the growing urgency for regulatory cooperation as financial technology innovation continues to outpace existing cross-border frameworks. “As regulation is still fragmented, and together as two central banks, we are working to see how we facilitate a fintech in Ghana to come and operate in Rwanda, how a fintech in Rwanda can operate in Ghana,” Barigye stated. The Deputy Governor identified regulatory fragmentation as the central challenge confronting African central banks in their efforts to support fintech growth, noting that while innovation has become increasingly borderless, regulation has largely remained domestic in scope. “Innovation is moving beyond borders, but regulation does not. So that’s the challenge that we see in Rwanda that we are grappling with,” he said, adding that the NBR has been actively engaging peer central banks to develop coordinated solutions. Barigye expressed appreciation for the collaborative relationships being built between African monetary authorities, describing the challenge as ongoing but one the central bank is committed to addressing.

Banking & Finance

Bank of Ghana Governor Considers Separate Legislation for Fintechs

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The Governor of the Bank of Ghana, Dr. Johnson Pandit Asiamah, has announced that the central bank is exploring the option of introducing a dedicated legislation specifically for regulating financial technology companies, separate from the existing Payment Systems Act. Speaking during a roundtable discussion on fintechs on Day 1 of the 3I African Summit in Accra, Dr. Asiamah explained that he has been in discussions with his head of fintech about the possibility of creating a more dynamic and targeted regulatory framework for the sector. “We’ll look at our regulation. With that, I was discussing with my head of Fintech the other day, and I said, you know what? I want to have a separate legislation for Fintechs. We regulate them currently under the Payment Systems Act. And I said, no, can I see more dynamism? Can we have a separate law just for Fintechs? So that’s the idea — thinking about what next,” the Governor stated. Dr. Asiamah also expressed confidence that fintechs represent a critical vehicle for achieving longstanding central bank objectives that traditional approaches have failed to deliver including deepening financial inclusion across the country. “We think that through technology, through fintechs, we can achieve some of the aims, some of the things that have eluded us for so long. We can use fintechs to accelerate that,” he added. The Governor further stressed the growing importance of fintechs in driving financial inclusion, noting that the central bank can no longer rely solely on traditional banking institutions to extend financial services to underserved populations across Ghana. The 3I African Summit which is only happening for a second time is a major financial technology and digital economy event taking place in Accra from May 6 to May 8, 2026. Hosted at the Destiny Arena, the summit is organised by the Bank of Ghana and the Development Bank Ghana in partnership with Elevandi. The name 3I represents the summit’s three core pillars — Innovation, Investment and Impact.

Africa

IMF and Guinea-Bissau Reach Staff-Level Agreement on Eleventh Review of Extended Credit Facility

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The International Monetary Fund and Guinea-Bissau have reached a staff-level agreement on economic policies that could support the approval of the Eleventh Review of the Extended Credit Facility arrangement, unlocking access to approximately US$1.6 million upon completion of the review by the IMF Executive Board. The agreement follows discussions held in Bissau from April 21 to 29, 2026, by an IMF team led by Niko Hobdari, mission chief for Guinea-Bissau, on macroeconomic policies under the ECF arrangement. The staff-level agreement is contingent on the implementation of agreed prior actions and remains subject to IMF Management approval and Executive Board consideration. The ECF arrangement was originally approved by the IMF Executive Board for a total amount of SDR 28.4 million  about US$37.3 million  on January 30, 2023, and was subsequently augmented to 140 percent of quota or SDR 39.76 million on November 29, 2023. Completion of the Eleventh Review would bring total disbursements under the arrangement to SDR 38.58 million  about US$52.8 million. At the conclusion of the mission, Mr. Hobdari noted that all end-March 2026 programme targets were met, with the authorities satisfying all quantitative performance criteria, indicative targets, structural benchmarks and continuous performance criteria, reflecting sustained commitment to the ECF-supported reform agenda. “I am pleased to announce that we have reached a staff-level agreement with the Guinea-Bissau authorities on economic and financial policies that could support the approval of the Eleventh Review of the ECF program,” Mr. Hobdari said. Economic growth in 2025 is estimated to have remained strong at 5.8 percent, supported by robust agricultural production particularly cashew exports and solid private investment. The IMF however cautioned that growth is projected to moderate in 2026 amid a more challenging external environment, including higher global fuel prices linked to the conflict in the Middle East and potential disruptions to the cashew marketing campaign due to production and logistical constraints. Mr. Hobdari noted that the authorities remain committed to achieving the 2026 domestic primary surplus target through strengthened revenue mobilisation and strict expenditure prioritisation, with prior actions focused on reinforcing tax administration, tightening expenditure controls, strengthening debt management and preserving investor confidence. Looking ahead the IMF flagged significant downside risks to Guinea-Bissau’s economic outlook including adverse weather conditions, negative terms-of-trade developments and tighter financing conditions. Against the backdrop of a tight fiscal space the Fund noted that the authorities’ commitment to curtail non-priority spending until cashew-related revenues materialise, alongside proactive cash management practices, would help ease financing pressures. The IMF also called for continued efforts to promote economic diversification into fisheries and extractive sectors  including oil, phosphate and bauxite as key to strengthening the country’s resilience over the medium term.

Trade

Ghana to Pilot Continental Digital Trade Corridor — Vice President

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The Vice President of Ghana, Professor Jane Naana Opoku Agyemang, has announced that the country will work its continental partners to pilot a digital trade corridor aimed at deepening Africa’s financial and digital integration. Speaking at the 3I African Summit on Wednesday May 6, 2026 in Accra under the theme “The Next Frontier: Shaping Africa’s Integrated FinTech Future,” the Vice President described the initiative as a concrete step towards positioning Africa as an active participant in the global digital economy on its own terms. According to the Vice President,the pilot corridor will focus on three key areas namely mobile money interoperability, mutual recognition of digital identity for cross-border Know Your Customer (KYC) processes and harmonised electronic invoicing across participating countries. “Ghana will work with everyone, Rwanda, Zambia and other partners to pilot a continental digital trade corridor. This pilot, which will be implemented,tested and measured, will focus on mobile money, interoperability, mutual recognition of digital identity for cross-border KYC and harmonised electronic invoicing.” The Vice President said. Touching on digital identity, the Vice President noted that interoperable identity systems are essential to unlocking participation at a large scale ,arguing that without shared and mutually recognised digital identity infrastructure cross-border financial transactions will remain fragmented and exclusionary. “Interoperable identity systems are therefore essential to unlock participation at scale.” She added The Vice President concluded by saying that “Economic sovereignty now also depends on integration, particularly digital integration, because this is where value is created, exchanged and controlled.” The 3I African Summit is a major financial technology and digital economy event organized annually by the Ghanaian Bank Of Ghana in partnership with other institutions which focuses on Innovation, Investment, and Impact.

Consumer

Fan Milk PLC to Pay GHS 0.11 Final Dividend Per Share for 2025 Financial Year

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  Fan Milk PLC has announced the payment of a final dividend of GHS 0.11 per share for the 2025 financial year, subject to shareholder approval at the company’s upcoming Annual General Meeting. According to a press release filed with the Ghana Stock Exchange, shareholders registered in the books of Fan Milk at the close of business on Thursday 14 May 2026 will qualify for the final dividend with the register of shareholders set to be closed from Friday 15 May 2026 to Monday 18 May 2026, both days inclusive. The ex-dividend date has also been set as Tuesday 12 May 2026.The dividend of GHS 0.11 per share is scheduled to be paid on Tuesday 30 June 2026. Fan Milk PLC’s Annual General Meeting will be held on Monday 18 May 2026 at Wesley Towers, Accra at 11am, where directors will formally recommend the dividend payment to shareholders for approval.

Banking & Finance

Kasapreko PLC Launches GHS 700 Million IPO on Ghana Stock Exchange

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Kasapreko PLC, one of Ghana’s leading manufacturers and distributors of alcoholic and non-alcoholic beverages, has launched an Initial Public Offering on the Ghana Stock Exchange, seeking to raise up to GHS 700 million to fund the expansion of its production capacity across the country. According to the IPO announcement filed with the Ghana Stock Exchange, the company is offering 583,333,333 new ordinary shares to the public at an offer price of GHS 1.20 per share, with a minimum application of 2,000 shares and additional multiples of 1,000 shares. The offering is open to both retail and institutional investors in Ghana. The implied market capitalisation of Kasapreko PLC at the offer price stands at GHS 4.96 billion signalling the scale and commercial weight of one of Ghana’s most recognisable beverage brands ahead of its public market debut. The company added that it intends to deploy the proceeds from the offering towards the expansion of its water and carbonated soft drink production plants, including the construction of a new factory at Adeiso. The offer opened on Monday 4th May 2026 and will close on Monday 1st June 2026 with allotment scheduled for Thursday 4th June 2026 and l settlement on Friday 5th June 2026. Shares are expected to commence listing and trading on the Ghana Stock Exchange on Wednesday 17th June 2026.