Top countries in Africa by their Firepower Index​

  • Egypt and Algeria dominate the top spots, reflecting their significant military investments and strategic importance in North Africa.
  • Nigeria and South Africa follow, representing West and Southern Africa, respectively.
  • Countries like Ethiopia, Angola, and the DRC have notable military capabilities but face internal challenges that may impact their effectiveness.
  • Kenya and Chad have relatively weaker militaries, though they still play important roles in their respective regions.

According to the latest Global Firepower (GFP) rankings, Egypt and Algeria lead Africa in military strength, with Power Index scores of 0.3427 and 0.3589, respectively, reflecting their robust defence capabilities. Nigeria and South Africa follow closely, showcasing their regional influence with scores of 0.5771 and 0.6889. Ethiopia, Angola, and the Democratic Republic of Congo also feature prominently, though their higher scores indicate comparatively weaker military strength. Meanwhile, Sudan, Kenya, and Chad round out the list, with Chad having the highest Power Index at 1.8712, signaling more modest military capabilities. This ranking highlights the varying levels of defence investments and strategic importance across the continent, with North African nations dominating the top spots.

Source:

Global Fire Power

Period:

2025
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Nigeria's Peace Index scores have worsened since 2008, reaching the highest to date in 2015
  • Nigeria has consistently ranked among the least peaceful countries, with scores remaining in the lower band from 2008 to 2025.
  • Peacefulness worsened sharply between 2013 and 2015, marking one of Nigeria’s most unstable periods.
  • A mild improvement occurred between 2017 and 2022, although overall peacefulness remained low.
  • Nigeria’s score deteriorated again in 2025, rising from 2.77 to 2.87 and reversing recent stability.

Protest activity in Nigeria increased significantly during Goodluck Jonathan's tenure, growing from 53 in 2011 to 696 in 2015
  • Nigeria recorded 971 protests and violent demonstrations in 2024.
  • Protest numbers have grown 50-fold since 2000, signalling a consistent rise in public mobilisation.
  • The most significant surge occurred between 2011 and 2015, under Goodluck Jonathan’s administration.
  • Muhammadu Buhari’s tenure saw the highest number of recorded protests — peaking at 1,008 in 2020.
  • Despite a change in leadership, protest activity remains elevated under Bola Tinubu.

The number of protests in Kenya skyrocketed to a record 2,008 events in 2024, marking a seven-fold increase from the 2022 total of 239
  • Kenya recorded 2,008 protests in 2024, the highest in its modern history.
  • The number of protest events increased seven-fold between 2022 and 2024.
  • Social media has become a major mobilisation tool for civic expression.
  • Rising cost of living, taxation, and unemployment remain the top drivers of unrest.

North African countries led in protests in Africa, topped by Morocco, which recorded 3,654 protests in 2024
  • Africa recorded 12,581 protests and violent demonstrations in 2024.
  • Morocco led the continent with 3,654 protests, far ahead of others.
  • Kenya ranked second with 2,008 protests.
  • South Africa (1,715) and Nigeria (971) followed, driven by economic and political frustrations.
  • North African countries, such as Morocco, Tunisia, and Libya, accounted for a significant share of protests.
  • The bottom 10 countries, including Lesotho, Gambia, and Seychelles, recorded fewer than 10 protests each.
  • Djibouti and Eritrea reported zero protests.

India leads the world in protest events with 22.1K, while Morocco leads in Africa, making it into the top 15 globally
  • India recorded the highest number of protests and demonstration events globally in 2024 (22.1K).
  • The United States followed with 10.5K protest events.
  • Yemen (8.2K) ranked third, reflecting the instability and ongoing conflict-driven unrest.
  • Pakistan (7.3K) and France (6.9K) rounded out the top five, underscoring the diverse sources of civic agitation.
  • Morocco (3.7K) was Africa’s leading country for protest activity, placing 12th globally.
  • The global total of protest and violent demonstration events reached 153,573 in 2024.

Kenya’s mobile banking fraud in 2024 exposed KES 981.7 billion, leading to losses of KES 810.7 billion
  • Kenya’s total fraud exposure in 2024 hit KES 2.0T, with KES 1.6T actually lost.
  • Mobile banking fraud was the largest contributor, with KES 981.7B exposed and KES 810.7B lost.
  • Mobile banking had an 82.6% loss rate, making it one of the riskiest fraud channels.
  • Computer fraud and internet scams recorded 100% loss rates, showing no funds were recovered.
  • Identity theft saw 97.9% of exposed amounts lost, translating to KES 199.1B.
  • Card fraud had a lower loss rate (59.9%) but still cost banks and customers KES 263.3B.

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