January 20, 2015.
For Creamer Media in Johannesburg, I’m Sane Dhlamini.
Making headlines:

Namibian power utility NamPower exports electricity to Eskom.
Boko Haram says it is building an Islamic state.
And, the International Monetary Fund lowers its 2015 growth forecasts for commodity exporters, including South Africa.

Namibian power utility NamPower is currently exporting electricity to its South African counterpart Eskom, which is struggling to meet demand.

NamPower was exporting up to 200 megawatts of electricity to South Africa.

Werner Graupe, senior manager for energy trading at NamPower said the electricity came from the Ruacana hydropower plant on the Kunene River bordering Angola.

Namibia usually imports roughly 60% of its power from neighbouring countries, including Eskom, but due to the good rains experienced in the area  Namibia is now able to export electricity outside peak times.

Boko Haram says it is building an Islamic state that will revive the glory days of northern Nigeria's medieval Muslim empires. However for those in its territory life is a litany of killings, kidnappings, hunger and economic collapse.

The Islamist group's five-year-old campaign has become one of the deadliest in the world, with around 10 000 people killed last year. Hundreds, mostly women and children, have also been kidnapped.

The insurgency remains the biggest threat to the stability of Africa's biggest economy ahead of a vote on February 14 in which President Goodluck Jonathan will seek re-election.

The International Monetary Fund (or IMF) has lowered its 2015 growth forecasts for commodity exporters, including South Africa.

It said the projected growth rebound for commodity-exporting developing countries will be weaker than it had been forecast in the fund’s October World Economic Outlook (or WEO).

The WEO Update, released on January 20, lowered South Africa’s 2015 gross domestic product (or GDP) projection to 2.1% in October.

The fund decreased its 2016 GDP growth projection for South Africa to 2.5%.

The 2015 projection for sub-Saharan Africa was reduced to 4.9% for 2015 and to 5.2% for 2016.

The IMF said lower oil and commodity prices would impact the terms of trade and real incomes of commodity exporters and would also “take a heavier toll on medium-term growth”.

Also making headlines:

UN peacekeepers in Central African Republic have arrested a senior leader of the anti-balaka militia, wanted for crimes including murder, rebellion, rape and looting.

At least four people have been killed in clashes between security forces and protesters in Democratic Republic of Congo's capital as opposition parties tried to block a change in the law that may delay elections due in 2016.

And, Mali has been declared free of Ebola following a 42-day period without a new case of the deadly virus.

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That’s a roundup of news making headlines today.