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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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    Data from Nigeria's National Bureau of Statistics shows that the Federal Allocation Account Committee (FAAC) disbursed at least ₦32.8 trillion net to the 36 states and the FCT since 2011.

     

    Five of Nigeria's oil-producing states — Delta, Akwa Ibom, Rivers, Bayelsa, and Lagos — have received 33.7% of the country's net federal allocation since 2011, with Delta State receiving the most. Kano, Katsina, Borno, Kaduna, and Ondo complete the top ten.

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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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    Top ten African countries by estimated number of films produced annually

    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.

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  • Top ten cocoa-producing countries in the world in 2020

    In 2020, 5.2 million metric tons of cocoa were produced globally, with four African countries — Ivory Coast, Ghana, Nigeria, and Cameroon — accounting for 68% of the produce.

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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.

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Other Insights

Key takeaways:

  • Throughout the decade, Nigeria saw a consistent decline in education funding as a percentage of GDP.
  • The most substantial allocation occurred in 2012 at 0.55% of GDP.
  • The lowest allocation was noted in 2022 at 0.35% of GDP.
  • There was a brief recovery from 2017 to 2018 before the downward trend resumed in 2019.
  • Over the decade, the overall reduction in education spending relative to GDP was approximately 36.5%.
  • Nigeria's education spending as a percentage of GDP is significantly lower than the UNESCO recommendation of 4-6% for developing nations.
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Key Takeaways:

  • Nigeria's total revenue decreased from 17.73% of GDP in 2011 to 9.09% in 2022.
  • The lowest point for the country’s revenue occurred in 2016, at only 5.12% of GDP.
  • Although there has been some recovery since 2016, revenue still falls well below the levels seen before 2015.
  • The sharpest decline took place between 2011 and 2016, with revenue dropping by over 12 percentage points.
  • In 2020, during the COVID-19 pandemic, there was a significant drop to 6.52%, followed by a period of recovery.
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Key takeaways:

  • February 2024 saw the largest month-on-month rise in inflation, climbing nearly 2% from 23.59% in January 2024.
  • Nigeria experienced brief periods of relief, with slight drops in core inflation during November 2023 and September 2024.
  • From May 2023 to December 2024, the inflation rate fluctuated within the 20% to 30% range.
  • December 2023 registered the highest inflation rate during the first eight months of the observed period.
  • The core inflation rate dropped to 22.59% in January 2025 from 29.28% in December 2024 due to the Consumer Price Index rebasing from 2009 to 2024.
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Key takeaways:

  • Libya's total revenue (85.78% of GDP) significantly surpassed all other African states.
  • Lesotho is noteworthy with the second-highest total revenue ratio at 48.12%.
  • Equatorial Guinea and Sao Tomé & Príncipe in Western Africa recorded total revenue of 30.79% and 25.38% respectively.
  • South Africa generated 27.74% of its GDP in revenue.
  • The top ten countries reported total revenue exceeding 28%.
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  • The South-South remitted ₦121.84B, making it one of the biggest net donors to the national VAT pool.
  • The region received only ₦52.49B, meaning it got back just 43% of its VAT contributions.
  • Rivers State alone remitted a staggering ₦90.21B (74% of the region’s total) but received only ₦11.01B (12.2% return), marking one of the worst VAT allocation disparities in Nigeria.
  • Cross River had the lowest VAT contribution (₦1.55B) but received ₦7.45B, a 380% gain, while Bayelsa, despite remitting ₦12.8B, received only ₦8.02B, less than lower-remitting states like Delta (₦9.05B).
  • Every state in the South-South received more than it remitted, except for Bayelsa and Rivers, with the latter being the only state to suffer a massive VAT deficit.
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  • East Africa: Ethiopia leads with 36.2 million agricultural workers (27.3% of its 132.5 million population). Agriculture is vital to its economy. Tanzania follows with 19.2 million workers (approximately 28.8% of 66.6 million). Uganda has 23.4% of its 50 million population in agriculture, and Kenya employs 7.6 million workers (approximately 13.7% of 55.3 million), despite land degradation affecting 80% of its land.
  • West Africa: Nigeria has 26.8 million agricultural workers, but with a population of 232 million, it heavily depends on food imports as only 11.5% of its population work in the agriculture section. Ghana employs 5.5 million agricultural workers (16% of 34.4 million) and has strong potential for agricultural export growth, especially cocoa.
  • Central Africa: DR Congo has 18.6 million agricultural workers out of a population of 109.2 million.
  • Southern Africa: Mozambique has 9.9 million agricultural workers 29% of 34.6 million, while Madagascar employs 10.5 million (33% of 31.9 million). Agriculture is key to Madagascar’s economy but hindered by land issues, with women producing 80% of crops.
  • North Africa: Egypt has 5.7 million agricultural workers (5% of 116.5 million), and relies on irrigation due to limited arable land and high food imports.
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  • North Africa dominates with 53.8% of Africa’s total reserves.
  • West Africa holds 17.6%, despite economic challenges.
  • Southern Africa accounts for 20.3%, benefiting from strong reserves in South Africa.
  • East Africa lags behind with 4.4%, indicating lower reserve accumulation in the region.
  • Central Africa holds the smallest share at 4%, reflecting economic struggles and weak financial buffers.
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  • Libya leads Africa’s reserves with $92.4B, followed by Algeria ($81.2B) and South Africa ($62.5B).
  • Morocco $36.3B reserve places it fourth among African nations.
  • Egypt’s holds $33.1B, maintaining a strong reserve position.
  • Angola ($13.9B), Tunisia ($9.24B), Kenya ($7.34B), Mauritius ($7.25B), and DR Congo ($5.1B) round out the top 10.
  • Libya and Algeria’s strong reserves highlight North Africa’s dominance in the Black continent reserve.
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  • In 2013, Africa’s total reserves stood at $560 billion, the highest recorded in the past decade.
  • A steady decline followed, with reserves dropping to $402 billion by 2016.
  • A moderate recovery began in 2017 at $426 billion, stabilising around $400 billion in recent years.
  • As of 2022, Africa’s total reserves were estimated at $397 billion.
  • Despite fluctuations, Africa’s reserves have hovered around $400 billion since 2019.
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  • Africa ranks 5th globally in total reserves. The continent’s $375B in reserves lags behind most regions, surpassing only Oceania.
  • Asia leads with $8.24T, over half of global reserves, maintaining the strongest reserve and continent buffer driven by China, Japan, and India.
  • Europe holds nearly five times Africa’s reserves, with $3.68T.
  • South America’s $590B reserves is 57% more than Africa’s.
  • Oceania remains the lowest with $84.8B.
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  • The mobility score improved dramatically from 42 in 2015 to 56 in 2023, highlighting a significant enhancement in travel freedom for Nigerian passport holders.
  • A sharp decline occurred in 2020, dropping to 44, likely reflecting global travel disruptions due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
  • Post-pandemic recovery is evident in the score rebounding to 48 in 2021 and surging to 54 by 2022, surpassing pre-pandemic levels.
  • The overall trend shows a steady upward trajectory from 2017 onward, suggesting successful diplomatic and policy initiatives aimed at expanding visa-free travel.
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Key Takeaways:
  • In 2023, Africa was the world’s leading gold-producing region, with a total output of 1,003.98 tonnes.
  • Asia followed with 661.30 tonnes, representing 18.1% of the world’s gold output.
  • The Commonwealth of Independent States (CIS) produced 570.90 tonnes, making up 15.7% of the global total.
  • North America and Central & South America contributed 485.17 tonnes and 542.13 tonnes, respectively.
  • Oceania was a key producer with 343.29 tonnes, or 9.4% of global output.
  • Europe contributed the least, producing only 39.30 tonnes, which is about 1.1% of the total.
  • Altogether, global gold production reached 3,646.07 tonnes in 2023.
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Tunisia’s official exchange rate (Tunisian dinar per US$), 2016 - 2024
  • The Tunisian dinar stood at TND 2.15 per US$ in 2016 and has since depreciated to TND 3.11 per US$ in 2024.
  • Between 2016 and 2019, the dinar saw a strong depreciation.
  • 2020 marked a turning point with a 4.16% appreciation, the first notable currency strengthening in the period observed.
  • From 2022 onward, the exchange rate has stabilised closely around TND 3.10 to TND 3.11 per US$, with minimal yearly changes of 0.08% and 0.04%.
  • The largest year-on-year depreciation occurred in 2017 with a 12.63% change.
  • Despite the earlier years of high volatility, Tunisia’s currency performance in the last three years suggests better monetary management and external stability.
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Countries with the worst African Infrastructure Development Index (AIDI), 2024
  • Somalia has the lowest AIDI score in Africa at 7.10, reflecting extremely poor infrastructure across all sectors.
  • South Sudan (7.38) and Niger (8.12) rank slightly higher, showing similarly weak infrastructure profiles.
  • Ethiopia (13.09) and the Central African Republic (13.23), though more advanced than others on the list, still score under 15.
  • Nigeria's AIDI score of 25.70, while not high by global standards, is more than three times higher than Somalia’s, indicating major disparities in infrastructure across the continent.
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  • An average of ~38,000 RSA accounts use the 25% withdrawal option each year.
  • Total amounts tapped rose from ₦19.1B (2019) to ₦35.5B (2023) as balances grew.
  • Total amount withdrawn from 2017 through Q3 2024 was ₦198.3B.
  • Despite rising amounts, the count of withdrawals fell from ~57,000 in 2017–18 to ~38,000 since 2019.
  • Amount withdrawn jumped by 32% in 2023.
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  • Global cotton production grew by over 160%, from about 9.5 million tonnes in 1961 to 24.8 million tonnes in 2022.
  • China’s Reign: 41 years at number one. Biggest output: 7.62M tonnes in 2007.
  • USA’s Era: 13 years at the top. Peak production: 5.20M tonnes in 2005.
  • USSR’s Legacy: 5 years crowned. Best year: 2.89M tonnes in 1981.
  • India’s Late Charge: Only 3 years at number one, but a huge 6.13M tonnes in 2020.
  • Shift to Asia: In the early decades, USA dominated; now, it’s mostly China and India running the game.
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  • Egypt dominated African cotton production for decades, from the 1960s to the early 2000s, standing far ahead of other African countries in both volume and quality.
  • The early 2000s marked a major turning point, as West African countries — especially Burkina Faso and Mali — began to overtake Egypt in total production.
  • Burkina Faso emerged as the new cotton leader between 2005 and 2015, topping production in key years like 2005, 2006, 2008, 2009, and 2012–2015, and later reclaiming the top spot in 2020 and 2022.
  • Mali built its cotton strength after 2015, becoming Africa’s number one producer multiple times, peaking at over 334,000 tonnes in 2019.
  • Benin and Côte d’Ivoire quietly closed the gap throughout the 2010s, consistently ranking in the top three, even though they didn’t dominate the number one spot.
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