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  • In Q1 2024, there was a 146% increase in Nigeria's foreign trade value from ₦12.9t in Q1 2023, with exports reaching ₦19.2t, and surpassing the whole of 2020's exports (₦12.5t).

    The total trade value in the quarter reached nearly half of the total trade in 2023.

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    Per Africa Wealth Report 2024, South Africa maintained its position as the country with the most millionaires in Africa in 2023.

    The country has 2.4x the number of millionaires as Egypt and 4.6x the figure of Nigeria.

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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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  • While many living in Nigeria have already experienced the effects of the fuel subsidy removal on their daily expenses, this chart presents a clearer picture of reality. Will the prices of food items continue to rise? Is there hope of some respite soon?

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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
Nigeria’s official exchange rate (Nigerian naira per US$), 2015 - 2024
  • The Nigerian naira depreciated by a record-breaking 129.23% in 2024, the highest drop in the last decade.
  • From 2015 to 2022, the naira's depreciation was relatively controlled, rarely exceeding 20% year-on-year.
  • The exchange rate remained nearly flat from 2017 to 2019, showing signs of stability.
  • In 2023, the naira lost over half its value (51.46%), marking the beginning of the current volatility wave.
  • The exchange rate crossed the ₦1,000/$ threshold in 2024 for the first time in history.
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Key Takeaways:

  • Electrical and electronic equipment was China’s top export to Nigeria, valued at $2.88 billion.
  • The top five export categories (electrical equipment, machinery, vehicles, plastics, and iron/steel products) together accounted for over $8.78 billion, representing around 44% of total exports.
  • Industrial goods such as machinery and steel, along with manufactured consumer goods, dominate China’s export portfolio.
  • Products like apparel, synthetic materials, and household items featured strongly among the top export categories.
  • In total, China exported goods worth $20.18 billion to Nigeria in 2023.
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Key Takeaways:

  • In 2023, China imported $1.41 billion worth of mineral fuels and oils from Nigeria, making it the leading import category.
  • The top three import categories (mineral fuels, ores, and salt/earth materials) together made up nearly 89% of the total import value.
  • Nigeria’s exports to China are largely raw materials and natural resources, with minimal contribution from manufactured goods.
  • The top ten product categories accounted for almost 99% of China’s total imports from Nigeria.
  • Agricultural and animal products such as oil seeds, raw hides, and spices also formed part of Nigeria’s export portfolio.
  • China’s total imports from Nigeria were valued at $2.37 billion in 2023.
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Key Takeaways:

  • In 2023, China’s exports to Nigeria totaled $20.18 billion, while imports from Nigeria reached only $2.37 billion.
  • China’s trade surplus with Nigeria amounted to approximately $17.8 billion.
  • Chinese exports accounted for 89.5% of the total bilateral trade, with Nigerian exports making up just 10.5%.
  • The trade imbalance underscores Nigeria’s strong dependence on Chinese goods and industrial inputs.
  • For every $1 Nigeria exports to China, it imports $8.50 worth of Chinese products.
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Somalia’s official exchange rate (Somali Shilling per US$), 2015 - 2024
  • Somalia’s currency has depreciated by 26.4% between 2015 and 2024.
  • The sharpest yearly depreciation was in 2019, at 4.64%.
  • From 2020 to 2021, the SOS saw its smallest year-on-year shift at 1.08%.
  • Despite fluctuations, every year from 2015 to 2024 recorded a net increase in SOS per US$.
  • 2017 recorded near-stable currency performance with just a 0.16% change from the previous year.
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Key Takeaways:

  • Africa's gold production grew steadily from 621.78 tonnes in 2010 to 1,003.98 tonnes in 2023.
  • The continent experienced an overall increase of 61.5% in gold output over the 14 years.
  • The continent saw consistent year-on-year growth, with only minor declines in 2020 and 2022.
  • 2023 marked the highest production level in more than a decade.
  • The average annual growth rate in gold mine production over the period was approximately 4%.
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Key Takeaways:

  • Global gold production rose from 2,830.80 tonnes in 2010 to 3,646.07 tonnes in 2023.
  • The most significant year-over-year growth occurred between 2012 and 2013, with an increase of over 178 tonnes.
  • A temporary decline in production was recorded in 2019 and 2020, reflecting pandemic-related disruptions.
  • Production recovered quickly post-pandemic, reaching a record 3,646.07 tonnes by 2023.
  • Over the last fourteen years, gold mine output grew at an average annual rate of approximately 2%.
  • Growth from 2021 to 2023 was more moderate compared to earlier years.
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Strongest African currencies by annual average official exchange rate (LCU per US$) in 2024
  • Tunisia held the top spot with the strongest African currency, trading at 3.11 TND per USD in 2024.
  • Libya followed as the second-strongest, with an exchange rate of 4.83 LYD per USD.
  • Morocco maintained a strong regional position, with its dirham trading at 9.94 MAD per USD.
  • Botswana’s pula was relatively stable, exchanging at 13.56 per USD, highlighting Southern Africa’s economic steadiness.
  • Ghana and Seychelles had closely matched exchange rates, trading at 14.48 and 14.53 to the dollar, respectively.
  • South Africa, Lesotho, Namibia, and Eswatini all shared almost identical exchange rates of around 18.32–18.33 per USD, showing tight regional monetary coordination.
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Africa's regional economic performance (2024), regional averages
  • Eastern Africa is the continent's fastest-growing region in 2024 with a GDP growth rate of 5.39%, but it also faces the highest inflation at 17.76%.
  • Southern Africa has the lowest inflation (3.48%) but also the highest unemployment by far, at 28.64%.
  • Western Africa combines growth (3.57%) with low unemployment (4.53%), positioning it as a relatively stable economic zone.
  • Central Africa and Northern Africa both lag in GDP growth, at 1.40% and 2.90% respectively, with Central Africa also experiencing moderate inflation and interest rates.
  • Interest rates are highest in Western (10.84%) and Eastern Africa (10.12%), reflecting tighter monetary policies likely aimed at controlling inflation.
  • Northern Africa’s 11.15% unemployment rate suggests underlying labour market issues despite moderate inflation and interest rates.
  • Southern Africa's low interest rate (6.29%) hasn't translated into job creation, indicating that monetary easing alone isn't resolving unemployment challenges.
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Share of internet users by type of app usage (worldwide) as of 2024 Q3
  • Chat and Messaging apps lead globally, engaging 94.5% of internet users as of Q3 2024.
  • Social Networks follow closely behind at 94.4%, nearly matching messaging apps in global user engagement.
  • Search Engines and Web Portals still see high use, engaging 82.3% of users.
  • Email services remain highly relevant, used by 75% of internet users globally.
  • Shopping, Auctions, and Classifieds apps are also prominent, used by 74.9% of users.
  • Location-based services like maps and ride-sharing apps engage 55.3%, indicating a strong but more practical use case.
  • Games remain a niche category, with only 32.6% of users engaging with gaming apps compared to much higher engagement with communication or shopping platforms.
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Key takeaways:

  • The United States holds the largest national gold reserves in 2024, totalling 8,133.46 tonnes.
  • Western European countries in the top ten list collectively hold 9,892.76 tonnes of gold reserves.
  • China, India, and Japan are the only Asian countries in the top 10, together holding 4,001.71 tonnes.
  • The Russian Federation is the leading gold reserve holder in Central and Eastern Europe, with 2,332.74 tonnes.
  • All countries in the top ten list maintain at least 600 tonnes of gold reserves.
  • The total gold reserve held by the top ten countries amounted to 24,360.67 tonnes.
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Key takeaways:

  • China leads all nations with total reserves of $3.46 trillion while holding 5.53% of its share in gold reserves.
  • The top 15 countries collectively hold a total reserve of $10.78 trillion.
  • Despite being the global leader in gold reserves, the United States ranks third in total reserves.
  • The largest share of the United States' total reserves is from its gold reserve holdings of 74.97%.
  • Countries in the top fifteen list hold at least $236.9 billion each in total reserves.
  • The United States, France, and Italy have more than 70% of their total reserve holdings in gold.
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  • Inflation jumped by 13.4 percentage points, from 9.0% pre-Buhari to 22.4% post-Buhari.
  • The value of the naira] depreciated by over 235% during Buhari’s tenure, ending at ₦645.2/$.
  • Total public debt increased nearly 7x, from ₦12.6 trillion in 2015 to ₦87.4 trillion in 2023.
  • Nigeria’s GDP growth rate averaged just 1.24% annually between 2015 and 2023.
  • Foreign reserves peaked at $44.5 billion in 2018 but dropped to $38.3 billion by 2023.
  • FDI inflows showed volatility, with the highest being $3.5 billion in 2021 and the lowest at $0.8 billion.
  • Nigeria's GDP growth rate was modest, with the country experiencing a recession in 2016.
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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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  • Nigeria is the world’s top yam producer since the 1980s.
  • West Africa supplies over 95% of global yam output.
  • Ghana and Côte d’Ivoire have grown steadily in the rankings.
  • Non-African countries play a very small role today.
  • Nigeria exports very little yam despite massive production.
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  • Libya leads Africa with 48.4 billion barrels of recoverable oil, the continent’s highest.
  • Nigeria ranks second with 37.3 billion barrels, accounting for about 27% of reserves among top holders.
  • Algeria holds 12.2 billion barrels, rounding out the top three and far ahead of other nations.
  • Sudan, Egypt, and Angola each contribute between 2.5 and 5 billion barrels, showing smaller but notable reserves.
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  • South Africa leads the continent with a vast 20,986km rail network, nearly triple the size of Sudan’s, the second-largest.
  • Nigeria’s rail infrastructure measures 3,798km, ranking it behind Kenya (3,819km) and DR Congo (4,007km).
  • North African countries like Egypt and Algeria maintain significant rail mileage, exceeding 4,000km each.
  • Southern Africa dominates the top five, with Mozambique and Zimbabwe also featuring prominently.
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  • Zambia recorded its highest-ever FDI inflow in 2013 at $2.10 billion.
  • After dipping to a negative inflow of -$0.07 billion in 2022, Zambia recovered to $1.24 billion in 2024.
  • The country experienced its first billion-dollar inflow in 2007, marking a turning point in foreign investment.
  • FDI inflow was consistently below $0.5 billion throughout the 1990s, indicating limited investor confidence during that period.
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