• Just 11 countries hold 69% of Africa’s total external debt.
• South Africa (14%) carries the highest share.
• Egypt (13%) and Nigeria (8%) are among the top three.
• Countries from Northern and Southern regions hold over 30% of Africa’s external debt.
• Many of these nations rely on debt to drive development, but without efficient utilisation, rising debt could become a major drag on future progress.

Key takeaways:

• Africa’s wealthiest individual, Aliko Dangote, is approximately twice as rich as Johann Rupert and Nicky Oppenheimer.
• Each of the three richest men in Africa have a net worth exceeding $10 billion.
• Aliko Dangote maintains his status as Africa's wealthiest man, with a fortune that surpasses his closest rival by more than $9 billion.
• The cumulative net worth of the five richest men in Africa is around $65.2 billion.
• The difference in net worth between Africa's richest man and the fifth richest man is $17.1 billion.

• 68.9% of non-custodial sentences fall under community service. This sentencing method is by far the most utilised, indicating a strong preference for rehabilitation through public work.
• Restorative justice is gaining traction (18.9%), emphasising reconciliation between offenders and victims rather than punitive measures.
• Probation is the least utilised; despite being a common alternative to detention in other systems, probation accounts for just 5.6% of non-custodial sentences in Nigeria.
• 6.7% of cases fall under "others," which could include lesser-known alternatives such as conditional discharge or special rehabilitation programmes.

• For every woman sentenced to a non-custodial measure, there are nearly 12 men (35:415), highlighting a strong gender disparity in non-custodial sentencing.
• Men account for more than 9 out of every 10 non-custodial cases (92%), suggesting that crimes leading to these sentences are far more common among male offenders.
• Women’s representation in non-custodial sentencing is much lower than their general crime conviction rates, indicating potential differences in crime type, judicial discretion, or rehabilitation approaches.

Key takeaways:

• Mozambique has the fewest individuals requiring support from the United Nations.
• The UN plans to help 3.6 million of the 7.8 million people in Nigeria who require assistance.
• Sudan is the only Northern African country recorded by the UN as having people in need.
• In East and Southern Africa, the countries with the highest and lowest numbers of individuals in need are Ethiopia and Zimbabwe, respectively.
• The Democratic Republic of Congo and Niger have the highest and lowest number of individuals needing assistance, respectively, in West and Central Africa.

• In February 2016, petrol was at its lowest price of ₦99.80 per litre, marking the last time fuel prices remained below ₦100.
• By November 2024, petrol prices soared to an all-time high of ₦1,214.17 per litre, reflecting the compounded effects of inflation, currency depreciation, and global oil price volatility.
• Over the nine-year period, the average petrol price stood at ₦272.65 per litre.
• Between January 2016 and December 2024, petrol prices increased by ₦1,079.52, a staggering 984.96% rise, emphasising the long-term upward trajectory influenced by economic challenges, subsidy removals, and fluctuating exchange rates.
• The most volatile period recorded a month-to-month price surge of over 129.23%.

• 66.6% of inmates (53,408) are awaiting trial, meaning 2 out of every 3 prisoners have not been convicted. This highlights major delays in the justice system, leading to prolonged detention without sentencing.
• Male inmates dominate the prison population at 97.7%, with similar trends in both convicted (98.3%) and awaiting trial (97.4%) categories, highlighting a significant gender disparity in detention rates.
• Only 33.4% of inmates (26,775) have been convicted, while the majority remain in legal limbo. This suggests that slow judicial processes are contributing to prison overcrowding and potential human rights concerns.
• 75.4% of female inmates (1,399 out of 1,855) are awaiting trial, meaning only 1 in 4 female prisoners has been convicted

• The NGX premium board accommodates an elite list of companies that meet specific requirements
• Six of the eight companies are audited by EY and KMPG, with each firm auditing three companies
• PwC audits the remaining two companies on the premium board
• Deloitte is the only big four firm that does not audit a premium board company

• Listed banking groups in Nigeria are all audited by the big four
• KPMG is the top auditor for the industry, auditing five companies
• Deloitte audits four companies, close behind KPMG
• EY and PwC audit three of the five tier one banks

• External reserves hit a peak of $53 billion, a level that hasn’t been reached since.
• Reserves have moved between $27 billion and $43 billion in the last decade.
• At $27 billion, 2016 was the most challenging period, coinciding with an economic recession and foreign exchange crises.
• Reserves rebounded after 2016, reaching as high as $42.6 billion in 2019.
• With $39.3 billion in reserves as of September 2024, Nigeria is in a stronger position than in some past years but still below historical highs.

• The Gambia, Guinea-Bissau, Niger, Sierra Leone, and Guinea had the most stable electricity supply from 2000 to 2021.
• Cape Verde experienced the highest electricity fluctuations, with values ranging from 2981.5 kWh/person to 7692.9 kWh/person.
• Nigeria, Ghana, Benin, Mali, and Cape Verde had the most unstable electricity supply, with significant year-to-year variations.
• Nigeria’s electricity supply averaged 2161.7 kWh/person but remained highly inconsistent, fluctuating between 1250.4 and 2707.9 kWh/person.
• Mali had the lowest electricity availability among unstable nations, averaging 757.4 kWh/person, with a drop as low as 350.7 kWh/person.
• Countries with stable electricity had lower fluctuations, with The Gambia leading at 957.8 kWh/person and Guinea reaching 1110.8 kWh/person.