The United Bank for Africa has revealed that it would slow down its expansion in Africa that would be favorable to Nigeria's power projects, reported Ventures Africa.

Lisec Group disclosed expansion plans directed to entering the Nigerian glass market, reported Ventures Africa.

Kohlapur, India-based commercial bank Ratnakar Bank Ltd pocketed $54.6 million (INR3.28 billion) from foreign investors CDC Group and Asia Capital and Advisors through the sale of an undisclosed minority stake to fund its rural expansion.

San Francisco, California-based WordPress parent firm Automattic acquired New York, US-based long-form reading content discovery app Longreads for an undisclosed amount with the latter to function as it is post-acquisition.

Takamatsu-shi, Japan-based cranes and aerial work platforms manufacturer Tadano Ltd completed its acquisition of its Yorkshire, UK-based distributor Cranes UK for an undisclosed amount to continue its market expansion.

Abingdon, UK-based environmental consultancy RPS Group Plc bought Derby-based water industry consultancy Clear Environmental Consultants Ltd in a deal valued at £8.34 million in cash to expand further in the UK.

Vantaa, Finland-based international rental giant Cramo purchased Klaukkala-based earthmoving equipment rental specialist OptiRent for an undisclosed amount to gain traction over its competitors in the earthmoving industry.

Dalia, Israel-based water measurement solutions and services provider Arad Group picked up a controlling stake in Mexico-based water meter manufacturer Cicasa for $2.04 million to gain access to the Latin American market.

The merger between Holcim and Lafarge was expected to establish the biggest cement company in the world, reported Ventures Africa.

Massachusetts, US-based software professional training tool provider PluralSight purchased Oklahoma City-based creative software training services Digital-Tutors in a deal valued at $45 million to increase its educational content.