While several African nations have state-controlled telcos, some private operators have extended their presence across the continent. Notably, none operates in all countries on the continent.
MTN Group and Orange are present in 17 countries, with MTN having a stronger presence in Southern Africa than Orange. Francophone West Africa and North Africa are Orange's primary markets.
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.
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.
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.
South Africa is rising on the global stage, showcasing its growing influence as it secures its spot as the only African country among the world's top 23 superpowers.
The United States leads with a strength index of 0.89, followed closely by China at 0.80. While traditional powers like Germany and Japan hold their ground, South Africa proudly stands among the top 23 superpowers with a strength index of 0.1. This is the only African country that made the top 23, coming 22nd on the list.
The ranking is based on analysis from Ray Dalio's Great Powers Index 2024. Dalio assessed each nation's strength based on a wide range of metrics, including education, innovation and technology, cost competitiveness, economic output, and military strength.
Note: The Eurozone, ranked third on the list, was removed as it cannot be considered a single country.
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.
On average, customers under the Jos Electricity Distribution Company are paying the highest for electricity in Nigeria as of 2021, followed by Port Harcourt Electricity Distribution Company. Eko Electricity Distribution Company charges the lowest, on average.
