Image credit : BCAfrica.

The Business Council for Africa (BCA) has released its 2025 RED Index of Industrial Development in Africa.

In the report, only four African economies are structurally positioned to sustain high-growth industrialisation.

The RED Index identifies that Morocco, Egypt, South Africa and Mauritius emerge as the only economies with the alignment required to sustain industrial growth, while Rwanda and Nigeria show meaningful progress but remain incomplete in their trajectory.

The report further indicated that the majority of African economies are classified as either vulnerable or stalled.

The Index evaluates each economy across three decisive dimensions: Engines of Industrialisation, representing foundational capabilities; Accelerators, determining the pace of transformation; and Decelerators, the structural constraints that can stall or reverse progress.

Commenting on the report, Chairman of the Business Council for Africa, Arnold Ekpe said:“This is not just an index. It is a call to action for African policymakers, investors, and businesses to take ownership of Africa’s industrial future and commit to the structural changes required to deliver sustained growth.

”As global capital seeks scalable and resilient growth opportunities, the RED Index provides a lens for identifying where industrialisation is viable, where structural risks remain elevated and where targeted intervention can unlock long-term.”

• Lagos Governor , Babajide Sanwo-Olu

Lagos State has been ranked emerging as the most indebted state in Nigeria, owing creditors a total of N1.22 trillion and $1.17 billion in domestic and external debts, respectively,

In its Q4 2025 domestic and external debt report, the National Bureau of Statistics (NBS) said that the country’s total debt stock, comprising domestic and external debt, rose from N153.29 trillion or $103.94 billion in Q3 2025 to N159.28 trillion or $110.97 billion in Q4 2025.

The report said this represented an increase of 3.90 per cent on a quarter-on-quarter basis, adding that total external debt stood at N74.43 trillion, while total domestic debt was N84.85 trillion in Q4 2025.

The share of external debt, in naira value, was 46.73 per cent in Q4 2025, while the share of domestic debt, also in naira value, stood at 53.27 per cent of total public debt.

While Lagos State had the highest domestic debt in Q4 2025 with N1.22 trillion, Rivers came second with N378.81 billion, while Jigawa State recorded the lowest with N1.60 billion, followed by Ondo with N8.42 billion.

Lagos State also recorded the highest external debt over the reference period with $1.17 billion, followed by Kaduna with $684.29 million, while the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) had the lowest with $26.80 million, followed by Zamfara with $41.93 million, the NBS said.

According to the bureau, other heavily indebted states are Bauchi with $220.57 million and N156.05 billion as external and domestic debts respectively;

Delta with $63.42 million and N248.83 billion as external and domestic debts respectively; and Enugu with $99.88 million and N157.60 billion as external and domestic debts, respectively.

Aliko Dangote, the billionaire behind Africa’s largest industrial conglomerate, is determined to end Nigeria’s epileptic power sector with a plan to generate 20,000 megawatts of electricity.

Dangote’s entry into the sector follows a string of failed promises from the Nigerian government.

Adebayo Adelabu, ex-Power Minister, has repeatedly missed deadlines to stabilise the grid at even 6,000 megawatts, a fraction of what Dangote is now proposing.

“We are now going into power… 20,000 megawatts,” said Dangote during a conversation with International Finance Corporation Managing Director Makhtar Diop, adding that Africa’s most pressing needs remain energy, fertilisers, and industrial inputs.