• Lesotho's external debt stock grew from $912.1 million in 2014 to $1.74 billion in 2020.
• The most significant increase in debt occurred between 2015 and 2016, when the debt surged from $952.6 million to $1.36 billion.
• After 2020, external debt levels started to stabilise, with only a slight decline from $1.83 billion in 2021 to $1.78 billion in 2023.
• Despite the recent stabilisation, Lesotho’s external debt remains relatively high, indicating a need for debt sustainability and fiscal management.

• All ten of the world’s lowest GDP per capita countries are in Africa, signalling deep economic inequality at the global level.
• South Sudan has the lowest GDP per capita at just $763, reflecting its ongoing economic struggles and instability.
• Burundi and the Central African Republic follow, both under $1,300.
• Even the highest GDP per capita country in this bottom ten, Niger, at $1,978, remains below $2,000.
• Low GDP per capita directly impacts standard of living, limiting access to quality healthcare, education, and infrastructure.

• A staggering 92.16% of all startup funding in West Africa flowed into Nigeria in 2019, showing the country’s lead in attracting investors.
• Nigerian startups still led, but their share dropped to 68.03% in 2023 and 69.75% in 2024, indicating that other West African countries are starting to attract more investment.
• Despite some shifts, no other West African country has come close to breaking Nigeria’s dominance. The remaining 20-30% of funding is spread across multiple nations, making it difficult for any single country to challenge Nigeria's position.
• While Nigeria’s startup dominance is impressive, a more balanced regional investment landscape could lead to greater innovation and economic growth across multiple countries.

• Nigeria is the clear leader, securing over 80% of total startup funding in West Africa. Its ecosystem benefits from a strong fintech sector, a large market, and increased investor trust.
• Ghana and Senegal are challengers, attracting $460M and $410M, respectively. These countries are proving they can compete but still have a long way to go to match Nigeria.
• Nigeria’s startups raised over ten times more than Ghana, the second-highest country on the list. This highlights an imbalance in investor focus.
• Benin ($133M) and Côte d'Ivoire ($107M) are rising players but remain in the shadows of the region’s top three. Their growing startup ecosystems could gain more traction with the right policies and investments.
• Mali, Togo, and Sierra Leone struggle to attract major funding, receiving less than $30M each. This signals a need for stronger ecosystems and investor confidence in these markets.

• India is now the world’s most populous country, surpassing China with 17.78% of the global population.
• China closely follows with 17.30%, showing that even though its population growth is slowing, it remains one of the most dominant globally.
• The United States (4.23%) remains the most populous Western country, reinforcing its continued economic and political significance.
• Nigeria leads Africa with 2.87% of the global population, showing that Africa's rising demographic weight will be a major factor in future economic and workforce trends.
• Ethiopia (1.63%) is another African country on the rise, showing how Africa’s demographic shift is accelerating beyond just Nigeria.
• Russia (1.76%) is the only European country on the list, underscoring Europe’s declining share in global population dynamics compared to the rapid growth of Asian and African nations.

• In 2023, over 324 million chickens were slaughtered in Nigeria, making them the dominant source of meat.
• Goats and sheep followed at 28.23 million and 19.45 million, respectively, but their slaughter numbers were far lower than poultry.
• Pigs accounted for 8.11 million slaughters, while cows were the least slaughtered at 3.32 million, likely due to their higher economic value.
• The disparity in slaughter numbers highlights Nigeria's preference for poultry over red meat, aligning with global trends in cost-effective protein consumption.

• Moniepoint began as TeamApt in 2015, building solutions for banks before pivoting to agent banking in 2019.
• In 2022, Moniepoint secured a banking license, launched business banking, and processed 5.2 billion transactions.
• The company rebranded to Moniepoint in 2023, relocated to the UK, and launched personal banking.
• By 2024, Moniepoint achieved unicorn status, with over $200 million in total funding.
• In 2025, Moniepoint plans to expand into contactless payments and remittances through Monieworld.

• Nigeria leads Africa in total arable land with 36,872,000 hectares, more than twice that of Niger, the second-ranking country.
• Niger ranks second with 17,700,000 hectares.
• The Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) ranks third with 13,680,000 hectares, revealing the role of Central Africa in agricultural land availability.
• Other notable countries include Chad (5.3M hectares), Zambia (3.8M hectares), and Guinea (3.1M hectares).
• The countries at the bottom of the top ten list, such as Congo (550,000 hectares), Liberia (500,000 hectares), and Mauritania (450,000 hectares), have relatively limited arable land compared to leading nations.

• The number of artists earning over $5,000 in royalties from Spotify has risen from 36,400 in 2017 to 110,500 in 2024, a 205% increase.
• The growth trend accelerated significantly after 2020, crossing 80,000 artists by 2021.
• Between 2017 and 2019, the growth rate was slower, rising from 36,400 to 53,700 artists in two years.
• The most significant jumps happened between 2019-2021, as numbers surged from 53,700 to 81,700 artists.
• The consistent rise suggests increased monetisation opportunities for independent and mainstream artists on Spotify.

• Avatar remains the highest-grossing movie globally, earning $2.92 billion.
• Titanic, released in 1997, is still among the top-grossing films with $2.22 billion, showing the lasting appeal of classics.
• Recent films like Avatar: The Way of Water ($2.32 billion) and Spider-Man: No Way Home ($1.92 billion) prove that sequels and superhero films continue to drive massive revenues.
• Disney properties dominate the list, with multiple Marvel, Star Wars, and animated films ranking among the top earners.

• Dangote first announced the refinery in 2013 with a $9 billion plan, securing $3.3 billion in funding.
• The estimated cost grew to $15 billion in 2017, as planned refining capacity increased to 650,000 barrels per day.
• By 2023, the refinery was finally commissioned, after its total cost surged past $20 billion.
• In December 2023, the first crude supply of 1 million barrels arrived, marking the start of operations.
• By 2024, the refinery began producing diesel and jet fuel, with 6 million barrels received for processing.

Key takeaways:

• In 2024, BUA Foods hit new heights, with gross profit for Q4 surpassing ₦189 billion.
• A remarkable surge occurred in 2024, with quarterly gross profits regularly exceeding ₦100 billion.
• The fourth quarter of 2024 marked a significant peak, illustrating a 200% increase from Q4 2023.
• BUA Foods' gross profit dramatically climbed from approximately ₦25 billion in 2021 to nearly ₦190 billion in Q4 2024.