Bloomberg Voters in Niger are picking a new president on Sunday in a runoff election set to mark the first-ever transfer of power through the ballot box in the West African nation. Mohamed Bazoum, an ally of incumbent President Mahamadou Issoufou, received 39% of the vote in a first round that fielded 30 candidates. He now faces a single opponent, ...

Bloomberg Canada’s largest banks are within striking distance of resuming profit growth — with the help of government programs that prevented major loan losses. The country’s six biggest banks are expected to post an 11% average decline in adjusted earnings per share when they report fiscal first-quarter results next week, according to analysts’ estimates compiled by Bloomberg. The comparable quarter ...

Bloomberg Access Bank Plc, Nigeria’s biggest lender is looking to generate as much as 30% of profit outside its home market, following a series of acquisitions spanning East and West Africa last year. The lender expects African subsidiaries and its UK unit to account for about 25-30% of profit before tax in the next three to five years from 21% ...