April 7, 2014
From Creamer Media in Johannesburg, I’m Motshabi Hoaeane.
Making headlines:
 

Nigeria surpasses South Africa as the continent's biggest economy.

Mali’s government resigns and new Prime Minister Ibrahim Boubacar Keita is appointed.

And, US Secretary of State John Kerry encourages Morocco on its reforms and commercial ties.

 

Nigeria has overtaken South Africa as Africa's largest economy after a rebasing calculation nearly doubled its gross domestic product (or GDP), data from the statistics office showed on Sunday.

GDP for 2013 in Africa's top oil producer totalled 80.3-trillion naira, or $509.9-billion, the Nigeria Bureau of Statistics said. This was an increase from the 42.3-trillion naira estimated before the rebasing. The new figure shrank Nigeria's debt-to-GDP ratio to 11% for 2013, against 19% in 2012, statistics chief Yemi Kale told reporters in the capital of Abuja.

Most governments overhauled GDP calculations every few years to reflect changes in output and consumption, but Nigeria had not done so since 1990, so sectors such as e-commerce, mobile phones and its prolific "Nollywood" film industry had to be newly factored in to give a more accurate picture.

Growing attention from foreign investors was forcing Nigeria to more accurately calculate its statistics, including GDP, Kale said, adding that the base year would now be recalibrated every five years, in line with global norms.

Mali's government has resigned and town planning minister Moussa Mara will become prime minister, a presidential spokesperson said on state television late on Saturday.

Outgoing prime minister Oumar Tatam Ly submitted the entire government's resignation to President Ibrahim Boubacar Keita on Saturday and it was accepted, the statement said.

His replacement, Mara, a political veteran who ran against Keita in Mali's August Presidential election, will be responsible for appointing new ministers. However, no timeframe was given for the appointments.

Under the Malian system, a reshuffle is normal following legislative elections.

US Secretary of State John Kerry on Friday encouraged Morocco to push on with political and economic reforms as the US looked to expand commercial ties with the only African country to enjoy a US free trade deal.

Kerry arrived in Rabat late on Thursday for annual talks on strengthening economic, political and security ties. He praised the reform process already undertaken by the government in Morocco, where the king still holds wide powers.

Kerry spoke at length about individual freedoms, saying no politician could shut out the world and that nobody had the ability to be able to tune it all out.
 

Also making headlines:


UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon says French and African soldiers serving in Central African Republic are "overwhelmed" by the state of anarchy in the country.

Officials say Ghana is testing blood samples of a suspected Ebola case.

And, the Congress of South African Trade Union's newly reinstated secretary general Zwelinzima Vavi and the National Union of Metal Workers of South Africa face suspension from the federation.

 

That's a roundup of news making headlines today.