In almost 61 years since Nigeria's First Republic, there have been 16 Presidents and Heads of State either by seizure, democratic election, or handing over by an interim government.
The unsuccessful attempt to restore Nigeria to democracy between 1992 and 1993 gave rise to the aborted Third Republic.
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.
Rising fuel costs are impacting transportation prices of goods and services, straining household budgets and contributing to inflation. The average cost of petrol in Nigeria has increased by 25% since July 2023. Diesel prices have seen an even sharper increase of 85%, rising from a national average of ₦794 in July 2023 to ₦1,462 in June 2024.
The 2024 Global Peace Index reveals a decline in peacefulness in 97 countries, the highest since the index began.
Nigeria is among the nations affected by regional conflicts and rising violence. With a peace index score of 2.91, Nigeria is facing increasing challenges.
A deteriorating peace score impacts foreign investment and economic stability. Global economic losses due to violence reached $19.1 trillion in 2023.
Data from 11 Nigerian banks in H1 2024 reveals that 10 of them experienced profit growth, showcasing resilience in the sector. Leading the way is GTCO with a remarkable ₦905.6 billion profit, representing a 223% YoY increase.
Zenith Bank follows closely with ₦578 billion, reflecting 98% growth. Jaiz Bank, while having the smallest profit at ₦11.28 billion, posted a strong 199% rise. UBA saw a decline, with its profit being 16% lower than in H1 2023.
In 2023, Nigeria saw a 17% reduction in petrol supply as imports fell by nearly 14% from 23.5 billion litres in 2022 to 20.3 billion litres.
The removal of the fuel subsidy in May 2023 led to higher prices and lower demand, especially in the second half of the year.
The Dangote refinery’s rising output could shape future supply.
Nigeria’s population growth has outpaced its economic performance. From 1960 to 2023, the population increased from 44.9 million to an estimated 223.8 million, putting immense pressure on resources.
The country's GDP peaked at $574.2 billion in 2014 but dropped to $362.8 billion in 2023.
Airfares in Nigeria have surged by 26% just one month after the Nigerian Airspace Management Agency proposed an 800% increase in navigational charges — the largest spike in 32 months.
From an average of ₦38,200 in January 2022 to ₦123,700 in August 2024, costs have more than tripled.
Further price hikes could raise concerns about air travel affordability nationwide.
On #WorldContraceptionDay, it's vital to highlight that in 2023, many women and girls aged 15 to 49 globally still have unmet contraceptive needs.
Samoa (28%), Angola (27%), and Liberia (25%) are among the top 10 countries.
Notably, seven of the top 10 are African, underscoring the urgent need for better reproductive health services.
In 2022, Nigeria led global production of root crops like yam, cassava, and taro, alongside nuts such as kola and karite, as well as grains like sorghum, with 61.2 million tonnes of yam and 60.8 million tonnes of cassava.
In 2022, only 11.3% of Burundi's population was using the Internet. As of 2023, the East African nation had an adult population of over 7 million and less than 3,000 fixed broadband subscriptions and 8.65 million mobile lines. Burundi's fixed broadband subscriptions grew from only 160 in 2009 to 2,790 in 2023, peaking at 4,230 in 2020 before a decline.
Nigeria was once a global leader in palm oil production, but it has been overtaken by Malaysia, Indonesia, Thailand, and Colombia.
Indonesia, in particular, has seen a 34,018% increase in production since 1961, reaching 49.7 million tonnes by 2021.
In 2022, yams topped the list of over 44 agricultural products in Nigeria, with 61.2 million tonnes valued at $25 billion, making Nigeria the leading producer of yam globally.
Cassava followed with $8.8 billion, and maize ranked third with $4.5 billion. These crops underscore Nigeria's agricultural strength.
Asian countries dominated the global palm oil market in 2021.
Indonesia and Malaysia accounted for 67.8 million tonnes out of 80.7 million tonnes produced.
Smaller producers like Nigeria (1.4 million tonnes) and Guatemala (0.8 million tonnes) had modest contributions.
In 2023, an estimated 132.1 million newborns were welcomed worldwide, averaging 361.9 thousand births per day.
India, China, and Nigeria accounted for nearly 30% of daily births; India had the highest contribution with 63,600.
In 2023, Egypt, South Africa, Algeria, and Morocco dominated Africa's steel industry, accounting for 88% of the continent's production.
Egypt led the charge, contributing 43% of Africa's total steel output. Despite this, Africa's 23.92 million tonnes only make up 1.26% of global production.
