• Sub-Saharan Africa faces the most severe teacher shortage, needing over 15 million educators by 2030, more than any other region.
• Southern Asia has the second-highest demand, requiring 7.78 million teachers, highlighting a major education gap in fast-growing economies.
• Europe & Northern America also need 4.83 million teachers, proving that even developed regions struggle with teacher shortages.
• South-Eastern Asia (4.54M), Northern Africa & Western Asia (4.26M), and Eastern Asia (3.28M) are all battling significant shortages, showing a global education crisis.
• Even smaller regions like Oceania (0.28M) and Central Asia (0.75M) require thousands of teachers, emphasising that no region is immune to this issue.
• If action isn’t taken now, millions of children will face overcrowded classrooms and lower educational quality, potentially stunting economic growth and workforce readiness for future generations.

• DR Congo holds the largest forest area in Africa, but it declined by nearly 33,000 km² from 2019 to 2022.
• Angola lost over 16,000 km² of forest, decreasing from 671,624 km² to 654,972 km².
• Tanzania, Zambia, and Mozambique forests recorded declines, though at different rates.
• Mozambique has the smallest forest area among the top countries, standing at 362,673 km² in 2022.

• The majority of Nigerian crypto holders (70.6%) have balances below $100
• Only 4.4% of Nigerians hold over $1,000 in their crypto wallets, indicating low high-value ownership
• Wallets with balances between $100 and $500 account for 19.4%, showing moderate adoption
• The data highlights that most Nigerians engage with crypto at a low-value level, possibly due to financial limitations or speculative testing

• Egypt and Algeria dominate the top spots, reflecting their significant military investments and strategic importance in North Africa.
• Nigeria and South Africa follow, representing West and Southern Africa, respectively.
• Countries like Ethiopia, Angola, and the DRC have notable military capabilities but face internal challenges that may impact their effectiveness.
• Kenya and Chad have relatively weaker militaries, though they still play important roles in their respective regions.

Key takeaways:

• In December 2024, the top five states with the highest average kerosene prices were: Abuja (₦2,950.0), Akwa Ibom (₦2,538.3), Kaduna (₦2,510.6), Cross River (₦2,430.7), and Sokoto (₦2,400.1).
• Abuja recorded the highest average price of kerosene in December 2024, while Borno state recorded the lowest price.
• The price of kerosene per litre ranged from ₦1,520.4 to ₦2,950 across Nigerian states in December 2024.
• The percentage difference in the price of kerosene across Nigeria states in December 2024 is approximately 63.9%.

• Airtel Africa leads the Nigerian stock market with a market cap of ₦8.11 trillion naira, followed by Dangote Cement at ₦8.10 trillion and BUA Foods at ₦7.52 trillion.
• The largest public companies in Nigeria are mostly in financial services, industrial goods and consumer goods.
• A total of 16 Nigerian public companies have surpassed the ₦1 trillion market cap threshold.
• The lowest-ranked trillion-naira company, First HolCo, has a ₦1 trillion naira market cap.

Key takeaways: 

• The boneless beef price recorded the largest increase of more than ₦3,620 on average, followed closely by dried catfish (+₦3,619.35) and frozen chicken (+₦3,583.82).
• Prices of major animal proteins have more than doubled, with price increases ranging from ₦1,900 to ₦3,630 on average.
• The top 20 food items saw price hikes of at least ₦1,900.
• The cost of a medium-sized crate of eggs more than tripled between May 2023 and December 2024.

Key takeaways:

• The total wealth of the three richest women surpasses $259 billion.
• Alice Walton is the only woman in the world whose net worth exceeds $100 billion.
• These women share a legacy of inherited wealth that they have successfully transformed into increased wealth.
• Each of the top three richest women holds a net worth greater than $70 billion.
• The top three richest women in the world are engaged in philanthropic endeavours.

• Women-led businesses in Africa raise significantly less funding than male-led counterparts. In 2017, female-led startups secured only $1 for every $25 raised by male-led startups, and this disparity persisted through 2024.
• Despite making up 26% of all entrepreneurs in Africa, women receive less than 10% of total investment capital.
• Women in Africa face structural financing challenges, including limited collateral, fewer investment networks, and biases in lending decisions.
• While some countries have introduced financial inclusion programmes, overall access to credit for women remains disproportionately low.
• The rise of women-focused venture funds, such as WIC Capital and Janngo, signals a slow but emerging shift towards more equitable funding distribution.
• If this trend continues, Africa risks stifling economic growth by not fully leveraging the entrepreneurial potential of women-led businesses.​​