President Tinubu was recently elected to take over from President Umaro Embaló of Guinea-Bissau as ECOWAS Chairman, making him the 9th from Nigeria. Since its inception, new chairmen have emerged 36 times, with Nigeria producing the most chairmen. Four countries in the ECOWAS region have collectively produced more than half of the chairmen since the organisation's founding, with each contributing multiple chairmen. Cape Verde is the only member country yet to produce a chairman.
Nigeria's export value increased by 16.8% quarter-on-quarter to ₦20.49 trillion in Q3 2024. Petroleum products (oils, liquefied natural gas, and other petroleum gases) made up 85.52% of its exports, valued at ₦17.53 trillion.
This figure highlights Nigeria's heavy reliance on the oil and gas sector for revenue, emphasising the need for diversification to reduce dependence on a single industry.
Between 2018 and 2021, adult literacy rates across African nations exhibited significant disparities. Seychelles and South Africa led with literacy rates of 96% and 95%, respectively, indicating a high proportion of literate adults. Conversely, Chad had the lowest literacy rate during this period.
These statistics underscore the uneven progress in educational attainment across Africa, highlighting the need for targeted interventions to improve literacy in lower-performing nations.
Inflation rate in Nigeria increased to 31.7% in February 2024. Nigeria has the 13th highest inflation rate out of 186 countries and territories as of February 2024.
The data showcases Argentina leading with 276%, followed by Lebanon and Syria. Seven of the top fifteen are African.
Nigeria was the seventh most populous nation in the world in 2020, with 206.1 million people. Projected to reach a population of 401.3 million by 2050, Nigeria will rank third after India (1st) and China (2nd). According to Institut national d'études démographiques' projections, Nigeria, Ethiopia, DR Congo, Egypt, Tanzania, and Kenya will be among the world’s top 20 most populous countries by 2050.
The Nigerian movie industry, mainly financed via public or private funding and international grants, produces the most films in Africa, yearly. Nigeria produced more than double the number of films that the Ghanaian and Kenyan movie industries produce annually.
Nigeria's population has increased from 45M at independence in 1960 to an estimated 206M as of 2020. Nigeria's GDP recorded its biggest year-on-year increase in 1981. Today, being her independence day, we present Nigeria's GDP and population growth rate since 1960.
Only 10% of Nigerians earn above ₦100,000, according to the Nigerian Financial Services Market Report. This aligns with most reports about Nigeria, and it's in sharp contrast to the narratives online.
Between 2018 and 2021, adult literacy rates across African nations exhibited significant disparities. Seychelles and South Africa led with literacy rates of 96% and 95%, respectively, indicating a high proportion of literate adults. Conversely, Chad had the lowest literacy rate during this period.
These statistics underscore the uneven progress in educational attainment across Africa, highlighting the need for targeted interventions to improve literacy in lower-performing nations.
As of May 2021, 54.69 million Nigerians had been enrolled in the National Identity Management Commission (NIMC) database. Here is the total number of registered Nigerians over the years.
According to The Global Humanitarian Overview, the UN and partner organisations will require a total of $35bn to assist 160M people most in need across 56 countries. Here are the top countries/regions most in need and their funding in 2021.
With a population of over 200M people, 7.7 million were in need of humanitarian aid as of 2020. This figure has since increased, requiring the sum of $1.01bn to meet their needs. Here’s the trend of Nigerians in need of humanitarian aid over the last 5 years.
The first major abduction of school children by Boko Haram occurred in Borno State in 2014 when 276 schoolgirls were taken. Since then, at least 1,800 school children have been abducted. More school children were kidnapped in 2021 than in previous years.
Lagos contributed the most IGR among all states in the country but got an allocation 28.5% less than its IGR. Here is a breakdown of the Federation Account Allocation and Internally Generated Revenue by South-Western states in 2020.
Rivers State generated the highest revenue among the South-Southern states in 2020, making it the second top contributor among all states. Delta State received the highest allocation from the FAAC in the region.
In total, the South-Eastern region received the least share of the FAA in 2020. Imo State received the highest FAA among the South-Eastern states. Here is a breakdown of the Federation Account Allocation and Internally Generated Revenue by South-Eastern states in 2020.
Jigawa State had the least IGR among the North-Western states, generating one of the lowest IGRs of the 36 states and the FCT. Kano received the highest share of the Federation Account Allocation in the region.
The average IGR by the North-Eastern states was ₦9.5 billion. The region generated the least revenue, with Yobe recording the nation’s least IGR. Here is a breakdown of the Federation Account Allocation and Internally Generated Revenue by North-Eastern states in 2020.
Nigeria was ranked 146 among 163 nations and territories in the 2021 Global Peace Index. With rising conflicts in the country, we consider the total reported deaths by geopolitical zone caused by social, political, and economic grievances between May 2011 and July 2021.
A staggering 92.16% of all startup funding in West Africa flowed into Nigeria in 2019, showing the country’s lead in attracting investors.
Nigerian startups still led, but their share dropped to 68.03% in 2023 and 69.75% in 2024, indicating that other West African countries are starting to attract more investment.
Despite some shifts, no other West African country has come close to breaking Nigeria’s dominance. The remaining 20-30% of funding is spread across multiple nations, making it difficult for any single country to challenge Nigeria's position.
While Nigeria’s startup dominance is impressive, a more balanced regional investment landscape could lead to greater innovation and economic growth across multiple countries.
Nigeria is the clear leader, securing over 80% of total startup funding in West Africa. Its ecosystem benefits from a strong fintech sector, a large market, and increased investor trust.
Ghana and Senegal are challengers, attracting $460M and $410M, respectively. These countries are proving they can compete but still have a long way to go to match Nigeria.
Nigeria’s startups raised over ten times more than Ghana, the second-highest country on the list. This highlights an imbalance in investor focus.
Benin ($133M) and Côte d'Ivoire ($107M) are rising players but remain in the shadows of the region’s top three. Their growing startup ecosystems could gain more traction with the right policies and investments.
Mali, Togo, and Sierra Leone struggle to attract major funding, receiving less than $30M each. This signals a need for stronger ecosystems and investor confidence in these markets.