Nigeria remains the leading African country of origin for students in the US, with over 20,000 enrolled this year.
Ghana, however, recorded the continent's fastest growth rate at 45%. This increase of over 2,900 students brought Ghana’s total to nearly 9,400, making it the second-largest source of African students in the US.
Nigeria also saw a 13.5% rise, adding more than 2,380 students year-over-year.
Overall, the number of students from African countries in the US grew by nearly 12% in the 2023/24 academic year.
From the early 1960s through the 1990s, Ethiopia's cattle population growth placed it at the forefront of African livestock rearers, holding the top position with millions of cattle.
This leadership continued into the 2000s, reflecting Ethiopia's robust cattle industry on the continent. Sudan managed to take the top position a few times, mostly around the 2000s.
However, Ethiopia quickly reclaimed the top spot. Nigeria's cattle population grew from about 6.03 million in 1961 to 20.9 million in 2022, claiming 6th position in Africa as of 2022.
Africa accounted for one-fourth of the global cattle population as of 2022.
Until 1976, Ghana was the world’s largest cocoa producer, with an average annual output of 410,000 tonnes. However, Ghana lost this lead when production fell to 277,000 tonnes in 1997, allowing Côte d'Ivoire and Brazil to overtake.
Since 1977, Côte d'Ivoire has led global cocoa production, increasing its output by 634%.
Nigeria’s cocoa production peaked at 485,000 tonnes in 2006, consistently ranking among the top ten producers.
From 1961 to 2022, Nigeria contributed about 7.3% to the global groundnut production, making it a key player in the sector. Alongside China and India, which also dominated production, these three countries accounted for 61% of the world’s groundnut supply.
States' share of Nigeria's public debt has dropped from 20.5% in 2019 to 8.5% in 2024, while the federal government’s debt has risen to over 91% of the total, in dollar terms.
The FG's debt grew from $66.7 billion to $83.6 billion in this period, while the states' debt dropped from $17.2 billion in 2019 to $7.8 billion, marking a shift in borrowing dynamics at federal and state levels.
Notably, states and FCT debt decreased in dollar terms but increased in naira terms, while FG debt rose in both dollar and naira terms over the same period.
Nigeria’s public debt decreased in dollar terms between June 2023 and June 2024. However, when converted to naira, it jumped to ₦134.3 trillion, largely due to currency devaluation. This sharp increase in debt could lead to tighter budgets, potentially affecting public services and everyday costs for Nigerians.
From 1961 to 2022, Nigeria, Egypt, and Madagascar led Africa in rice production, supporting local economies and food security.
Nigeria peaked in 2017 with over 10 million tonnes, while Egypt and Madagascar also recorded strong years.
Since 2014, Nigeria has held the title of Africa's largest rice producer.
Since 2015, Seychelles has topped Africa's GDP per capita rankings because of its strength in tourism and fishing.
Libya, Equatorial Guinea, and South Africa have also occupied the top spot since 1960.
Watch how the countries vied for the top ten spots over the years.
Lagos led Nigerian states with ₦815.9 billion in Internally Generated Revenue for 2023, followed by the FCT with ₦211.1 billion.
Despite only a 25% growth, Lagos’ IGR confirms its economic dominance. The FCT, meanwhile, recorded an impressive 70% increase.
Ebonyi, though with lower revenue, achieved an astonishing 148% growth.
Taraba generated the least revenue, increasing by 6%.
There were 249 million malaria cases globally in 2022, with Africa accounting for 233 million.
Nigeria and DR Congo were the highest contributors.
Egypt and Cape Verde have been certified malaria-free, joining only seven countries in Africa.
