In addition to private investment totaling some $7 billion, US Vice President Kamala Harris announced that Washington would provide federal investment to boost access to climate information services.

The Covid-19 pandemic is pushing Africa into its first recession in a quarter of a century, with GDP forecast to shrink by up to 5 percent. The World Bank's private sector arm, the International Finance Corporation, has outlined a $1.5 billion facility for Africa's business community, with a focus on small and medium sized companies. Sergio Pimenta, Vice President for the Middle East and Africa of the IFC, tells FRANCE 24 that those firms in turn have a "significant" role to play in combatting the virus.

The Togolese government is taking part in the G-20 Debt Service Suspension Initiative, which suspends payments to bilateral Paris Club creditors from the first of May till the end of the year 2020. Ratings Agency, Moody’s says Togo’s participation in the initiative offers short term liquidity relief but poses risks for the private sector. Lucie Villa, Vice President and Senior Credit Officer at Moody’s joins CNBC Africa for more.

Australia's government and private sector are being targeted in large-scale sophisticated cyber attacks by a foreign entity, the country's Prime Minister Scott Morrison has said, but declined to name the actor.

Here is why you should pick up a copy of The Guardian on Saturday. Find these stories and much more when you grab a copy of The Guardian on the newsstands on Saturday. ⁣

The International Finance Corporation (IFC) regards the Africa Investment Forum as an interesting opportunity to meet and hear from some of Africa’s leaders and some of the key players in the private sector on what they see as the opportunities and challenges on the continent. Sergio Pimenta, Vice President of IFC in Middle East and Africa joins CNBC Africa’s Africa’s Kenneth Igbomor for more.

The 25th edition of the Nigerian Economic Summit Group has ended in Abuja with an agenda for competitive private sector.

Infrastructure and industrial development are essential to regional integration in Africa. CNBC Africa's Esther Awoniyi caught up with Pierre Guislain, VP, Private Sector, Infrastructure, and industrialization at the AfDB.

Pierre Guislain the Vice President for Private Sector, Infrastructure, and Industrialisation at the AfDB says development banks like Afreximbank and the AfDB have a core mandate to harness the potential of Africa’s private sector to accelerate the continent’s transformation. He explored ways to attain this transformation with CNBC Africa's Christy Cole.

Patience Oniha, Director General of Nigeria’s Debt Management Office says government policies in the country targets a private sector-led growth among others and the issuance of the Sukuk bonds in the past have been aimed at meeting these objectives.

Private sector players advised joining politics.

Stanbic IBTC says April PMI came in at 55.5 percent showing signs that the recent soft patch in the Nigerian private sector may have come to an end in April as business conditions improved to the greatest extent since late last year. Gbolahan Taiwo, Regional Economist for West Africa at Stanbic IBTC joins CNBC Africa to discuss the details.