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  • Nigeria's government collected ₦2 trillion in corporate income tax in H1 2023, with a spike from ₦469 billion in Q1 to ₦1.53 trillion in Q2. The corporate tax payments for H1 2023 are higher than any full-year collections from 2015 to 2021.
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    Nigeria's debt burden has been a growing concern, with data revealing that for every $1 billion external loan repaid in the past decade, approximately $3 billion was borrowed. Here, we look at how the country has managed its external debt in the past ten years.
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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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  • The value of transactions conducted over Unstructured Supplementary Service Data (USSD) in Nigeria in 2021 was ₦5.2 trillion, 73% higher than 2020 figures. The total transaction value dropped by ₦685 billion in 2022, a 13.3% decline. The transaction volume also witnessed a 6% decline.

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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:

  • Zenith Bank Plc led the profitability ranking with a Profit After Tax (PAT) of ₦1.03 trillion.
  • Guaranty Trust Holding Company followed closely with ₦1.02 trillion in PAT.
  • Each of the top six banks recorded profits exceeding ₦600 billion.
  • The total PAT for the top ten banks rose by 53%, from ₦3.39 trillion in 2023 to ₦5.54 trillion in 2024.
  • FCMB Group Plc was the only bank among the top ten to record a year-on-year decline in PAT.
  • Ecobank, First Holdco, Fidelity Bank, and Wema Bank each recorded over 100% growth in PAT compared to 2023.
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Key takeaways:

  • Ecobank Transnational Incorporated ranks first with total assets of ₦43.3 trillion, marking a 67% increase from 2023.
  • Access Holdings Plc ranked the second-largest bank in 2024, as against the first in 2023.
  • The combined assets of the top five banks amount to ₦171.6 trillion, a 55% increase from 2023.
  • These five institutions represent the largest players in Nigeria’s banking sector by total assets as of 2023 and 2024.
  • The increase in total assets of the top ten banks ranges from 34% to 67% year on year.
  • The assets of the top ten listed public banks rose by 54% in 2024.
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Global monthly cellular data usage by mobile application category (Jan. 2025)
  • Video apps consumed 75.86% of the total global mobile data, making them by far the largest data users.
  • Social networking apps accounted for 7.84% of the total data usage, translating to 11.52 exabytes.
  • The "Others" category, which includes smaller app groups, made up 10.48% of global mobile data usage.
  • Software updates consumed 2.73% of the global mobile data volume, equivalent to 4.01 exabytes.
  • Web browsing took up 1.42% of mobile data use globally, accounting for 2.09 exabytes.
  • Audio apps like streaming music services accounted for 1.20% of the total mobile data usage.
  • File sharing applications consumed just 0.47% of the mobile data globally, indicating a relatively small share compared to other categories.
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Popes in the history of the papacy by their country of origin (as of 2024)
  • Italy alone accounts for 217 popes, dominating papal history more than any other region or country.
  • France, the second-most represented, has had only 16 popes, which is fewer than one-tenth of Italy's total.
  • Germany and Syria have had 6 and 5 popes respectively, reflecting early and medieval Church dynamics.
  • Africa has had just 3 popes.
  • Modern nations like Argentina, Poland, and the Netherlands have produced only 1 pope each.
  • Israel (3), Greece (4), and Turkey (2) are notable for their ancient Christian histories but limited papal presence in modern times.
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  • Nigeria spent $6 million on its first post-independence census in 1962.
  • There is no publicly available data on the amount spent during the 1991 census.
  • By 2006, census spending had surged to $266 million, highlighting a significant increase in the cost of national population counts.
  • The budget for the upcoming 2025 census has not yet been disclosed.
  • In April 2025, President Tinubu inaugurated the National Census Committee and gave a three-week deadline to submit a detailed report.
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Key takeaways:

  • Kano State received the highest allocation at ₦1.23 billion, accounting for 5.7% of the total NPHCDA Gateway fund.
  • Katsina followed closely with an allocation of nearly 4%.
  • Five of the top ten recipient states are from Southern Nigeria, while the other five are from the Northern part of Nigeria.
  • Southern states (Osun, Oyo, Anambra, Akwa Ibom, and Imo) featured prominently, together receiving approximately 19% of the total disbursement.
  • The top ten states collectively received ₦8.30 billion, representing 38.6% of the total fund.
  • In total, ₦21.51 billion was disbursed to all states under the NPHCDA Gateway in 2024.
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  • 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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  • 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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  • The low access rates in nations like South Sudan and the Central African Republic are often linked to conflict and instability.
  • Fourteen countries on the continent have less than 50% of their population with electricity.
  • At the very bottom of the list, South Sudan has a 5.40% access rate, while Burundi stands at 11.60% and Chad at 12.00%.
  • Twelve African countries have less than 40% access.
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