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Popular Insights
  • Crude oil exports, which made up 81% of Nigeria's export value in 2023 have increased in three consecutive years since 2021. After a 36% decline in 2020, exports increased by 53% in 2021, 46% in 2022, and 37% in 2023 to reach ₦29 trillion.

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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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  • 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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    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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  • 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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    Every Nigerian president since 1999 left office with a higher dollar to naira exchange rate than when they took office. Will President Tinubu's tenure be the exception?

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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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  • 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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Other Insights
  • India led globally for 21 of 24 years, followed by China (2) and Mexico (1)
  • No African country ever topped global remittance inflow rankings
  • Nigeria ranked among the top 10 recipients for several of the years
  • India’s dominance reflects its large global diaspora and steady labour migration
  • China’s brief lead came in the early 2000s but it was overtaken quickly
  • Mexico in the top spot for one year was tied to strong remittance links with the US
  • The top countries rarely changed, showing a stable global remittance pattern
  • Most global leaders have large populations abroad in high-income economies
  • Global remittances remain a major economic lifeline for developing countries
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  • Egypt had the highest total remittance inflows across all years in the dataset.
  • Nigeria was consistently among the top 3 recipients every year, topping the chart for 13 years.
  • Morocco and Ghana showed strong, stable inflows throughout the 2000–2023 period.
  • Kenya and Senegal experienced some of the fastest remittance growth from 2000 to recent years.
  • Rwanda had high percentage growth, though starting from a small base.
  • A noticeable dip occurred in 2020 for most countries, likely linked to COVID-19 — followed by recovery in 2021 and 2022.
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Key takeaways:

  • Kano State received the highest individual allocation, totalling ₦1.43 billion, which accounts for 6% of the overall disbursement.
  • The North-West region received the largest regional share, with ₦7.16 billion of the total NHIA Gateway Fund.
  • The South-West received the smallest regional allocation, amounting to nearly 10% of the total.
  • The top ten recipient states collectively received ₦10.07 billion, representing 42.1% of the entire fund.
  • The Southern regions collectively received 42% of total disbursement.
  • The total NHIA Gateway Fund disbursed in 2024 amounted to ₦23.92 billion.
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Key Takeaways:

  • Kaduna led national corn production on average, contributing 8% of total output, between 450,000 and 947,000 metric tons.
  • Niger, Gombe, Borno, Plateau, and Taraba followed closely, each accounting for 5–6% of the total output on average.
  • Corn production is heavily concentrated in the North-Central and North-East regions.
  • Kaduna and Niger together accounted for 14% of Nigeria’s corn output on average.
  • The top 10 corn-producing states, all located in northern Nigeria, on average contributed 47% of the national total.
  • Southern states such as Osun and Ondo contributed modest but notable shares, each representing 3% of national production on average.
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Key takeaways:

  • Kano State received the highest allocation, totalling ₦2.67 billion, which accounts for 5.9% of the entire fund.
  • Nine out of the top ten recipient states are located in Northern Nigeria.
  • Enugu is the sole Southern state to appear among the top ten beneficiaries.
  • The top ten states collectively received ₦16.94 billion, representing 37.3% of the total fund disbursed.
  • In total, ₦45.43 billion was disbursed to all 36 states and the FCT in 2024.
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Key Takeaways:

  • Cameroon’s IMF debt decreased from SDR 70.6 million in 2016 to SDR 49.1 million in 2017—a 30% reduction.
  • From 2018 onwards, the country experienced steady increases in outstanding debt.
  • After an initial 30% reduction from 2016 to 2017, debt skyrocketed by 380% in just one year (2017-2018).
  • By March 2025, Cameroon’s outstanding debt had reached SDR 1.18 billion, representing a staggering SDR 1.13 billion increase from its 2017 level.
  • Although the pace of accumulation has moderated in recent years, the overall debt trend remains upward.
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Key Takeaways:

  • The Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) reduced its external debt significantly from SDR 263 million in 2016 to SDR 69.3 million by 2019.
  • A sharp reversal occurred in 2020, with debt surging by 327% within a single year, from SDR 69.3 million in 2019 to SDR 296.2 million.
  • Over the decade from 2016 to 2025, the country’s debt increased by 580%, reaching SDR 1.79 billion by March 2025.
  • From 2020 to 2025, the DRC has accumulated over SDR 1.49 billion in new debt.
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  • Gold hit its trough at $1,985/oz in February 2024, marking the low before an uninterrupted rally.
  • After a spring consolidation, gold surged past $2,500/oz in September 2024 (peaking then at $2,546), signaling broadening investor demand.
  • The metal first cracked the $3,000/oz threshold in March 2025 when it reached $3,026, underscoring accelerating momentum.
  • That rally culminated in a new record of $3,323/oz in April 2025, a 67.5% gain from the February 2024 low.
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Global internet usage overview
  • A staggering 96.3% of users access the internet via mobile devices, making smartphones the most important digital tools in the world today.
  • While 82.7% of the global urban population is online, only 47.4% of the rural population has access. That’s a huge gap that reflects deep inequalities in infrastructure and digital opportunity.
  • Spending 6 hours and 38 minutes online every day isn’t just scrolling time; it’s a shift in how humans live, learn, and earn. It’s equivalent to more than 100 full days online per year per person.
  • Although mobile dominates, 61.5% of users still access the internet through computers, proving that traditional devices still matter for work, school, or content creation.
  • While 70% of men use the internet, 65.7% of women do. This gap may seem small, but on a global scale, it represents millions of women without access to tools for learning, income, and visibility.
  • With billions spending almost 7 hours daily online, the internet is where decisions are made, opinions are formed, and lives are influenced.
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Share of private capital deals (volume) in Francophone Africa, by Sector, 2012 – 2024 H1
  • Between 2020–2024 H1, 40.58% and 50.91% of deal volume went to consumer staples and consumer discretionary respectively, showing that everyday goods and lifestyle products are fast becoming investment magnets.
  • The utilities sector deal volume exploded in recent years, jumping from 21.62% in 2016–2019 to 70.27% in 2020–2024 H1, an indication that basic infrastructure services like energy, water, and power are now central to investment strategies.
  • 78.57% of all deal volume in the information technology sector happened in the most recent period, suggesting that digital solutions and tech platforms are increasingly being backed by private capital.
  • The industrials sector also bounced back, with 46% of its deal volume coming in the 2020–2024 period.
  • Energy sector investment dropped from 66.67% to 33.33%, and real estate recorded no new deals after 2015.
  • Health care remained consistent across all three periods, securing exactly 33.33% of the deal volume each time, highlighting its stability, even if not standout growth.
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  • Nigeria’s currency has undergone 10 key shifts; from note introductions to redesigns and a digital launch.
  • Between 1999 and 2005, four new notes; ₦100 to ₦1,000, were introduced in response to inflation.
  • The ₦200, ₦500 & ₦1,000 notes, which dominate in circulation by value, were revamped with high-security features.
  • In 2021, Nigeria launched the eNaira, making it the first African country with a Central Bank Digital Currency.
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  • Rashidi Yekini remains Nigeria’s all-time top scorer with 40 goals in 58 appearances — a record that has stood for over two decades.
  • Victor Osimhen now ranks 2nd, overtaking Segun Odegbami by scoring 26 goals in just 40 matches.
  • Segun Odegbami, now 3rd, recorded 23 goals in 46 appearances during his time with the national team.
  • Among the top scorers, Osimhen has the best goals-per-game ratio, scoring 0.65 goals per game, compared to Yekini’s 0.69 and Odegbami’s 0.50.
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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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Top 10 countries by African Infrastructure Development Index (AIDI), 2024
  • Seychelles leads Africa with a near-perfect AIDI score of 99.77.
  • Egypt and Libya follow with strong performances of 91.43 and 85.84, respectively.
  • Tunisia ranks 6th with a score of 74.18, showing consistent infrastructure growth.
  • Morocco and Algeria, despite being major economies, scored below 75.
  • Botswana rounds out the top 10 with a score of 42.13, nearly double Nigeria’s score.
  • Nigeria, despite its economic size, scored just 25.70, far below the continental leaders, highlighting major infrastructure gaps.
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Seychelles score - African Infrastructure Development Index (AIDI), 2003 - 2024
  • Seychelles' AIDI score more than doubled between 2003 (47.43) and 2024 (99.77).
  • The score crossed the 70-point mark in 2009 and jumped past 90 in 2013.
  • Between 2012 and 2024, the country maintained an AIDI score above 89, showing long-term infrastructure strength.
  • From 2003 to 2008, the score rose steadily each year, averaging more than 2 points annually.
  • The last five years (2020–2024) showed minimal fluctuation, with scores above 98 every year.
  • This performance positioned Seychelles as Africa’s most infrastructure-ready nation in 2024.
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Nigeria's score - African Infrastructure Development Index (AIDI), 2003 - 2024
  • Goodluck Jonathan's era (2010–2015) delivered the highest AIDI growth, with a CAGR of 6.84%, more than double that of his successor.
  • Muhammadu Buhari’s administration saw steady but slower growth, with a CAGR of 2.63%, increasing the score from 20.60 in 2016 to 25.70 in 2024.
  • Musa Yar’Adua’s brief tenure (2007–2010) still managed a solid CAGR of 4.26%, indicating promising momentum that was cut short.
  • Nigeria's AIDI score rose from 8.61 in 2003 to 25.70 in 2024, nearly tripling in two decades.
  • Obasanjo’s tenure saw the slowest growth, with only a 2.59% CAGR, suggesting limited infrastructure expansion in the early 2000s.
  • The fastest absolute annual increase occurred between 2010 and 2014, when scores jumped by over 2 points per year.
  • Despite steady growth, Nigeria's 2024 score of 25.70 still places it far from top performers in Africa, showing that significant infrastructure gaps remain.
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