The International Fund for Agricultural Development (IFAD) on Monday joined Djibouti Prime Minister Abdoulkader Kamil Mohamed, the World Bank Group and development partners to launch the Djibouti AgriConnect Compact, an ambitious initiative aimed at transforming the country’s agri-food systems, creating jobs and improving the livelihoods of rural communities.

AgriConnect is a World Bank Group initiative designed to help 300 million smallholder farmers worldwide move from subsistence to surplus production. The initiative focuses on strengthening agricultural ecosystems through stronger farmer organizations, improved market linkages, enhanced access to finance and digital solutions, and greater private sector participation across food systems.

The Djibouti Compact will focus on livestock, horticulture and date palms value chains, identified by the Government of Djibouti and the World Bank as priorities because of their importance to the national economy and regional trade.

“AgriConnect presents an important opportunity for IFAD to continue supporting the sustainable transformation of rural livelihoods in Djibouti, in line with our new country strategic opportunities programme for 2026–2031,” said Emime Ndihokubwayo, IFAD Country Director for Djibouti. “The initiative can help rural women, men and young people participate in and benefit from a more productive, resilient and inclusive agricultural economy.”

More than 300 policymakers, central bankers, institutional investors, and capital market regulators from over 20 African nations have gathered in Nairobi for the third Sustainable Capital Markets Conference, organized by FSD Africa and regional partners.

The high-level meeting takes place at a critical juncture for African economies, as governments confront tightening global financial conditions, reduced overseas development funding, slowing foreign direct investment, and elevated debt-servicing burdens. In response, delegates are focusing on accelerating domestic resource mobilization to bridge the continent’s widening development and climate financing gaps.

Although African domestic equity markets have expanded 27-fold since 2000 to reach $561 billion, the continent’s share of global capital market activity has declined relative to international benchmarks. Debt capital markets remain particularly shallow, with fewer than half of African countries seeing a domestic corporate bond issuance since 2000.

The United Nations Economic Commission for Africa (ECA) and DHL Express Sub-Saharan Africa have signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) to strengthen the participation of African small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) in intra-African trade regionally through Regional Economic Communities (RECs) as well as continentally through the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA). The collaboration will be delivered through DHL’s GoTrade programme and aims to equip SMEs with the knowledge, tools and capabilities needed to expand across borders and access new regional market opportunities.

The partnership establishes a framework for cooperation between ECA and DHL in areas including capacity building for women- and youth-owned businesses, digital transformation and innovation in trade, research and analysis, and knowledge sharing on cross-border commerce across Africa.

As part of the collaboration, ECA and DHL will jointly develop and deliver a virtual training programme designed to help African SMEs better understand and leverage opportunities created by the regional integration initiatives, including the AfCFTA. The programme will focus on practical topics including customs procedures, logistics, e-commerce, digital trade, regulatory compliance, market access and trade finance. It will also support the inclusion of women and young entrepreneurs in cross-border trade.

Spiro, Africa’s leading electric mobility company, has signed a partnership with Yadea, the world’s leading manufacturer of electric two-wheelers, to scale accessible and sustainable electric transport across Africa.

The strategic partnership combines Yadea’s global manufacturing and R&D capabilities with Spiro’s operational network and battery-swapping ecosystem across seven countries. Together, the companies aim to build a scalable, commercially sustainable EV framework serving millions of commercial fleet operators, delivery services, logistics providers, and daily commuters in Africa’s fastest-growing mobility markets.

Under the agreement, Yadea will supply electric two-wheelers and related EV products tailored to Spiro’s expanding regional markets, while Spiro will integrate the vehicles into its proprietary battery-swapping and energy infrastructure. The companies will also co-develop customized two-wheeler platforms engineered specifically for local road conditions and commercial utility across Africa.