Tough Christmas looms as rates and inflation hit household budgets
It's a gloomy picture for households as rising interest rates eat into disposable incomes, but the economic landscape today is much different to previous rate hiking cycles.
It's a gloomy picture for households as rising interest rates eat into disposable incomes, but the economic landscape today is much different to previous rate hiking cycles.

A leading Nigerian food manufacturing company, BUA Foods Plc, has recorded an increase in gross profit to N552.90 billion for the nine months ended 30 September 2026, compared with N520.65 billion in the corresponding period of 2025. Ayodele Abioye, Managing Director of BUA Foods Plc, said: “Our nine-month 2026 results demonstrate the resilience of BUA Foods’ operating model and the benefits of disciplined cost and margin management.
The Executive Secretary/CEO of the National Sugar Development Council (NSDC), Mr. Kamar Bakrin, has said the bold, macroeconomic reforms put in place by President Bola Ahmed Tinubu have made local sugar production attractive and cleared the pathway for the country to achieve self-sufficiency. Under the Nigeria Sugar Master Plan (NSMP) 2.0, the goal is self-sufficiency in sugar production.

She urged prospective investors to explore opportunities in the 2026 Licensing Round, which offers 40 oil and gas blocks.
House hunters like Vanessa Bray finally feel like they may have a fighting chance of securing a home amid a slump in property prices, while an industry insider warns this optimism may be premature.

The Ghana Publishing Company Limited (GPCL) is restructuring its operations to expand its West African market presence and improve commercial performance. Nana Kwasi Boaitey, GPCL’s Managing Director, announced this at the Government Accountability Series in Accra on Monday.

Resolution Foundation study finds workers are less willing to go ‘above and beyond for employers than a decade ago’ Job satisfaction among UK workers has dropped to a record low, according to a study that shows a growing frustration with employers over pay and flexible working. Analysis by the Resolution Foundation thinktank shows that a lack of flexible working, insecure jobs and a loss of independence have undermined how workers feel about their employment.

A Finance Ministry document has provided an early indication of what to expect when Finance Minister Dr. Cassiel Ato Forson presents the budget on November 12. Finance Minister Dr Cassiel Ato Forson It outlines seven pillars and proposes changes to government’s fiscal targets to create room for the investment.

The Ghana Reference Rate (GRR), a key benchmark commercial banks use to price loans, has fallen to 10.01% for November 2026, signalling potential relief for borrowers. However, the GRR is a reference point, not the final interest rate charged to every customer.

Alexander Afenyo-Markin, the Minority Leader in Parliament, has called on African countries to move beyond merely identifying financial irregularities and ensure the effective enforcement of audit recommendations to strengthen public accountability. In an address at the opening of the Sixth Conference and General Meeting of the African Organisation of Public Accounts Committees (AFROPAC) in Accra on Monday, Mr Afenyo-Markin said the continent could not continue to “audit the same failures year after year without holding anyone accountable.”

We cannot let the billionaire class take unprecedented risks with our future America is a divided country in crisis. Nearly 1,000 billionaires live and do business in the United States.
Mortgage borrowers are likely to feel the sting of the RBA's latest cash rate rise, but savers and overseas travellers will also see the effects.
RBA lifts interest rates to highest level in 18 years, in majority decision by RBA board.
Economist and political risk specialist Dr Theo Acheampong says Ghana’s inflation is projected to remain below 10 per cent over the next three to four years. Speaking on Joy News’ PM Express on Monday, he pointed to the government’s medium-term fiscal projections.

Economist and political risk specialist Dr Theo Acheampong says a 5% pay rise in a stable economy can leave workers better off than a 30% increase during runaway inflation. Speaking on Joy News’ PM Express on Monday, he argued that lasting improvements in living standards require more than higher salaries.

Governor Alex Otti of Abia State has concluded plans to bring investors, business leaders, policymakers, development partners, diplomatic representatives and entrepreneurs to the state to explore investment opportunities and strengthen commercial relations between Africa and the United States. In a statement he signed and issued to newsmen on Sunday, the Chief of Staff to the
Economist and political risk specialist Dr Theo Acheampong says Ghana’s wage bill is extraordinarily high compared with regional peers, leaving little room for capital spending after other major commitments. “But when you compare Ghana’s wage bill to some of our peers, even within the subregion, you can see that the wage bill is quite extraordinarily high.”

•Demand deposits climb 71% •Analysts highlight cash dependence, financial inclusion challenges By Peter Egwuatu Currency held outside the banking system by Nigerians rose by 103.8 per cent to N4.923 trillion in September 2026 from N2.416 trillion in September 2023, highlighting the persistent demand for physical cash despite the expansion of electronic payment channels in the country. Data from the Central Bank of Nigeria, CBN, Money and Credit Statistics, also showed that currency outside banks increased by 10.3 per cent year-on-year from N4.465 trillion in September 2025 to N4.923 trillion…
Workers in the public sector are expected to be better off in real terms than they were in several previous years, as easing inflation helps preserve the purchasing power of their salaries, Technical Adviser at the Ministry of Finance, Dr Theo Acheampong, has said. Dr Acheampong illustrated the point with a hypothetical 9 per cent salary increase against inflation of between five and six per cent, which, he said, would translate into a real wage improvement of about three to four per cent.

By Favour Ulebor, Abuja Former President of the African Development Bank, Dr Akinwumi Adesina; Emir of Kano, Muhammadu Sanusi II; and Abia State Governor, Alex Otti, are among prominent African leaders expected to attend a conference in Abuja on November 3 to discuss strategies for building a prosperous, resilient and inclusive African economy. According to a statement issued on Monday by the Conference Media Adviser, Comrade Chris Isiguzo, Adesina, who is also Executive Chairman of the Global Africa Investment Summit, will deliver the keynote address.
The package comprises the N50 billion Presidential Conditional Grant Scheme for nano businesses, the N75 billion FGN MSME Intervention Fund for micro, small and medium-sized enterprises, and the N75 billion FGN Manufacturing Sector Fund for manufacturing businesses. Oduwole noted that the N75 billion Manufacturing Sector Fund had been fully disbursed to 104 manufacturing businesses, while N65.8 billion had been disbursed to 15,018 businesses under the MSME Intervention Fund as of the first quarter of 2026.

MTN Ghana has set Thursday 10th December 2026 as the interim dividend payment date for quarter 3, 2026 to shareholders. All shareholders registered in the books of Scancom PLC (MTN Ghana) at the close of business on Thursday, 26 November 2026, would qualify for the quarter three interim dividend.
The President of the National Association of Graduate Teachers (NAGRAT), Jacob Anaba, says organised labour may return to the negotiating table over the eight per cent base pay increase for public sector workers in 2027 if economic conditions change during the year. Speaking on Joy News’ PM Express on Monday, November 2, Mr Anaba said the agreement must be assessed against the cost of living, particularly rising fuel prices and the cost of food.

A total of GH¢19.9 billion was tendered for treasury bills by investors in October 2026, as against a target of GH¢16.37 billion. However, the government accepted GH¢14.97bn, a GH¢1.40bn short of its target.