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  • Over the years, the value of the Zimbabwean Dollar (ZWL) has been on a massive downward trend compared to the US Dollar (USD). This has led to the latter accounting for most of the domestic transactions in the Southern African country. The ZWL went from 10,152.5 to USD 1 as of January 1, 2024, to 30,674.3 on April 1, 2024. The Reserve Bank of Zimbabwe is introducing a gold-backed digital currency as a legal tender to stabilise its currency.
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    Bitcoin has seen remarkable growth since 2010. Starting from a high of just $0.5 in 2010, it reached an all-time high of $73.7k in March 2024.

    It recorded new peaks in 2011, 2013, 2017, 2020, 2021, and recently in 2024.

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  • A Trend of Adult literacy rates of African countries

    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.

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    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.

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  • 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.

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    The FAAC's revenue distribution from 2017 to August 2023 highlights the dominance of Delta, Akwa Ibom, Rivers, and Bayelsa states in allocations. Despite Lagos' economic prominence, it ranked fifth. Here is the distribution of revenue among states between 2017 and August 2023.

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  • The African countries with the highest life expectancies as of 2023 are: Algeria - 77 years, Tunisia - 77 years, Cape Verde - 77 years, Mauritius - 76 years.

    The African countries with the lowest life expectancies: Central African Republic - 55 years, Lesotho - 55 years, Nigeria - 54 years, Chad - 54 years.

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  • 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.
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  • A Trend of Adult literacy rates of African countries

    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.

    See more

Other Insights
  • In 2023, South Africa produced 1.199 million tonnes of apples, making 32.5% of the total quantity of apples produced in Africa.
  • Only ten countries in Africa produced apples, making 3.8% of the global total of apples produced.
  • South Africa exported over 50% of the apples it produced in 2023.
  • Nigeria didn't produce but imported 44.73K tonnes of apples.
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  • The Democratic Republic of Congo is the highest charcoal-producing country in Africa with 274.62PJ (petajoules) of charcoal produced in 2023.
  • Nigeria is the ninth country on the list, with 43.76PJ.
  • The total amount of charcoal produced in Africa in 2023 was 1,367.26PJ.
  • Africa claims 69.2% of the total quantity of charcoal produced globally.
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  • Guinea-Bissau showed the highest agricultural contribution to its GDP at 36.8% in 2024.
  • Contributions range widely, with high reliance seen in Comoros (36.6%) and Ethiopia (34.9%), contrasting with lower percentages in DR Congo (17.1%) and Angola (16.4%).
  • Agriculture, forestry, and fishing contributed a notable 20.4% to Nigeria's GDP in 2024.
  • Countries with high agricultural GDP contributions are predominantly located in West and East Africa.
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  • India tops the list of the global number of people unable to afford a decent meal with a value of 792.80 million causing unaffordability to prevail in the country by 55.6%.
  • China emerged as the second country in this global list with 208.10 million people falling in this category and unaffordability prevalence of 14.6%.
  • Nigeria claimed 6.2% of the global total with 175.6M, making it the 3rd country with the highest number of healthy diet unaffordability.
  • High number of people that could not afford a healthy diet does not outrightly equal high percentage of healthy diet unaffordability.
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  • Burkina Faso's GDP per capita rose from $248.9 in 2000 to an estimated $987.3 in 2024, marking a nearly 297% increase over 25 years.
  • The country saw its largest single-year jump between 2007 and 2008, rising $104.7 from $514.7 to $619.4.
  • Economic downturns were visible in 2009 (-2.9%), 2015 (-17.6%), and 2022 (-6.6%), showing vulnerability to shocks.
  • Since 2020, GDP per capita has grown 19.6%, with 2024 recording the highest value in the dataset.
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  • Estimates place Sierra Leone at the top, with about 64.5% of its GDP tied to the shadow economy.
  • Niger (56.3%) and Ethiopia (50.2%) are the only other nations where over half of economic activity is informal.
  • Even larger economies like Nigeria (30.0%) are estimated to have nearly a third of their GDP in unrecorded transactions.
  • Across the listed countries, estimates range from 28.1% to 64.5%, revealing deep but varied informality in African economies.
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  • The FIRS collected ₦21.7 trillion, outpacing the target of ₦19.4 trillion set by the government.
  • FIRS grossed its highest revenue of all time since 2012 in 2024.
  • Comparing the values of 2021, 2022, 2023 and 2024 reveals a significant shift.
  • The tax revenue collected in 2024 surpassed the amount collected in 2023 by an outstanding 75.6%.
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  • The highest-ranked countries have managed to provide electricity to every single citizen.
  • Four of the six countries with 100% access are from North Africa.
  • The list isn't a continuous climb; there's a big jump down from the 100% group to the rest of the top 15.
  • The data shows that with the right investment and policies, it is a very realistic goal for a country to achieve full electrification.
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  • Sudan’s debt-to-GDP ratio of 238.8% is the highest in Africa and over twice the size of its economy.
  • Three African countries—Sudan, Cabo Verde, and Zambia—have debt burdens exceeding 100% of their GDP.
  • Egypt, Mozambique, and the Congo Republic follow closely with ratios above 88% each, despite efforts at economic reform.
  • Ghana and Sierra Leone are also in the top 10, showing that West Africa isn’t exempt from debt pressure.
  • Nigeria, while not in the top 10, has a debt-to-GDP ratio of 41.3% and ranks 43rd in Africa.
  • A high debt-to-GDP ratio often limits a country’s ability to invest in growth-driving sectors, even if the economy is growing nominally.
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  • DR Congo has the lowest debt-to-GDP ratio in Africa, at just 11.1%.
  • Africa’s average debt-to-GDP ratio stands at 63.2%, meaning most countries on the bottom 10 list are performing better than the continental average.
  • Nigeria, despite its size and challenges, still maintains a relatively moderate debt load of 41.3%.
  • Botswana’s debt ratio of 18.1% places it among Africa’s most fiscally conservative economies.
  • Ethiopia and Guinea, both undergoing major economic transitions, still keep debt levels below 32%.
  • The presence of both low-income and resource-rich countries on the list shows that low debt isn’t exclusive to one economic model.
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  • Production dipped sharply in 2022, with the steepest quarterly decline of –16.08% in Q3, before recovering at year-end.
  • 2023 marked a rebound year, highlighted by strong quarterly growth of 18.85% in Q3, lifting production back above 1.5 mbpd.
  • 2024 showed relative stability, with modest fluctuations; production only briefly fell below 1.5 mbpd before gradually recovering.
  • By Q2 2025, output hit 1.68 mbpd, the highest in the series, supported by consistent growth in three straight quarters.
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  • Nigeria received a total of 880 H-1B visas in FY 2024, averaging about 73 per month.
  • December 2023 was the peak month, with 118 issuances, while June 2024 recorded the lowest at just 46.
  • Issuances fluctuated throughout the year, reflecting no clear upward trend but significant month-to-month volatility.
  • Despite peaks and dips, overall activity remained steady, with most months ranging between 60–90 approvals.
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  • Nigeria ranked first in Africa, with 880 H-1B visas issued in FY 2024, far ahead of Ghana (499) and Egypt (364).
  • East and Southern Africa featured prominently, with Kenya (320), South Africa (208), and Zimbabwe (132) among the top 10.
  • North African representation was modest, with Morocco (78) and Egypt (364) being the only countries in the region on the list.
  • Despite these numbers, Africa’s collective total is marginal globally, especially compared to India’s ~150,000 issuances and China’s large volumes.
  • President Donald Trump’s $100,000 fee for new U.S. H-1B skilled worker visas will have limited impact on Africa, which has historically received only a small fraction of these visas.
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  • Ghana secured 499 H-1B visa approvals in FY 2024, averaging about 42 per month.
  • April 2024 was the highest month with 80 visas, while September 2024 dropped sharply to just 16.
  • Visa issuances were relatively steady until early 2024, before a mid-year surge and late-year decline.
  • Ghana ranks second in Africa for H-1B visas, behind Nigeria, reflecting its growing pool of skilled professionals abroad.
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  • 2024 recorded the highest number of H1-B issuances to Nigerians at 880, nearly double 2022’s level.
  • Issuances dropped sharply to 231 in 2020 and 197 in 2021, marking the lowest levels in nearly two decades.
  • Between 2006 (483) and 2017 (354), there was a gradual decline in approvals before a steeper fall in 2020.
  • From 2021 to 2024, issuances surged by more than 340%, suggesting strong demand for U.S. tech and professional opportunities among Nigerians.
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  • Nigeria ranked first in Africa, with 880 H-1B visas issued in FY 2024, far ahead of Ghana (499) and Egypt (364).
  • East and Southern Africa featured prominently, with Kenya (320), South Africa (208), and Zimbabwe (132) among the top 10.
  • North African representation was modest, with Morocco (78) and Egypt (364) being the only countries in the region on the list.
  • Despite these numbers, Africa’s collective total is marginal globally, especially compared to India’s ~150,000 issuances and China’s large volumes.
  • President Donald Trump’s $100,000 fee for new U.S. H-1B skilled worker visas will have limited impact on Africa, which has historically received only a small fraction of these visas.
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