Africa’s private capital market surged to $16.1 billion in Q1 2026 despite deal volume falling to 172, driven by two Nigerian infrastructure mega-deals.
Africa · Western
Key Facts
—Record Value. Total disclosed deal value reached $16.1 billion in Q1 2026, nearly tripling the $5.8 billion recorded a year earlier.
—Fewer Deals. Transaction volume fell to 172, down from 188 in Q4 2025 and 201 in Q1 2025, signalling a pivot to larger, more structured bets.
—Nigerian Anchors. Two transactions—MTN’s $6.2 billion acquisition of IHS Nigeria and a $4 billion Afreximbank-led facility for the Dangote Refinery—accounted for roughly 63% of the total.
African dealmaking rebounded to its strongest quarter in four years, with $4.53 billion across 89 M&A and private-equity deals,…
The quarter's largest transaction was MTN's acquisition of the remaining 75.3 percent stake in IHS not already owned by the…
The largest deal of the quarter was MTN's acquisition of the remaining 75.3 percent stake in IHS that it did not already own.
Nigeria closed the second quarter of 2026 as the busiest destination for private capital on the continent, as African dealmakers…
After several years of subdued corporate dealmaking driven by economic uncertainty, Nigeria witnessed a resurgence in mergers and…
Africa Intelligence Brief for Monday: Dangote's refinery pushed past its full capacity ahead of a listing that could value it…
