Nigeria Economic Research Highlights

Nigeria Economic Research & Views

New cities set to alter investment landscape in Africa

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With Africa’s population projected to double by 2050, countries are planning new cities to house increased industrial activity and urban populations, and address the constraints of many of the continent’s mega-cities. New urban developments around the globe are working to tackle issues surrounding population growth, sustainability and economic resilience. In 2015 Egypt announced that it would build a new capital. In addition to administrative offices, the New Administrative Capital is expected to host a stadium...

Emerging markets invest in film media to extend their global reach

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As audiences return to entertainment in physical venues following the Covid-19 pandemic, several emerging markets are looking to film and media to diversify economic revenue streams and extend their cultural reach abroad. Global cinema box office revenue saw a strong upswing in the first quarter of 2023, with the year’s gross revenue set to reach $32bn. While still 20% below the annual average recorded in the 2017-19 period, the figures show that the industry is well on its way to recovery...

The future of commercial drone delivery in global and local supply chains

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Emerging markets are capitalising on commercial drone technology to overcome logistics challenges and revolutionise supply chains for many goods and services, with expected benefits for last-mile delivery. While unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) are often associated with military usage, commercial UAV usage has grown substantially in recent years as e-commerce and logistics companies increasingly look to drones to enable more efficient delivery. Research firm GlobalData predicts that commercial drones...

How agri-tech start-ups are driving investment in emerging markets

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Even as global funding levels drop, agri-tech start-ups remain a key driver of investment in emerging markets as they work to make farming greener, more productive and more climate resilient. Global investment in agri-tech start-ups totalled $10.6bn in 2022, down 13% from 2021 – a record funding year for global start-ups – but ahead of the 2020 figure of $7bn. This matched a general downwards trend in venture capital activity, as investors became more cautious amid global headwinds and deepening fears of recession...

Global CEO Survey: What is on the horizon for emerging markets?

While the recovery period following the Covid-19 pandemic saw the unlocking of major capital in emerging markets, inflationary pressures, fluctuating commodity prices and geopolitical concerns have since tempered the global economic outlook for 2023. Balancing opportunity and risk has become a priority for shareholders and investors, but emerging markets have remained resilient. Some regions, such as the Gulf, are looking to funnel elevated hydrocarbons revenue into sustainable mega-projects, whereas leaders in Asia...

Shifting oil market creates export opportunities for emerging markets producers

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With EU bans on Russian oil and oil-product exports set to go into effect this year in response to Russia’s ongoing war in Ukraine, emerging market producers are poised to gain larger shares of an evolving market. EU bans against Russian oil products such as diesel were rolled out earlier this month, following bans on Russian seaborne crude oil exports that began last December. Last week, Patrick Pouyanné, CEO of France’s TotalEnergies, said that there is...

African start-ups were a bright spot in the global funding ecosystem in 2022

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As rising borrowing costs and recession concerns weighed on global venture capital investment in 2022, Africa’s start-up ecosystem attracted record funding. While most regions experienced double-digit declines in start-up funding last year, Africa posted gains in total investment volume, deals and number of investors. Start-up funding on the continent grew by roughly 5% in 2022, compared to a decline of 62% in Latin America and 39% in Asia Pacific. Globally, venture capital funding was down 35% at $445bn, albeit still well...

Nigeria targets agro-processing as a future growth driver

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As Nigeria looks to restructure its economy to be more diversified and sustainable, agro-processing is emerging as a key tool to improve agricultural value added while also bolstering the sector’s status as a driver of economic growth. As in many African countries, agriculture has long been an important part of Nigeria’s economy – not only in terms of food production, but also in terms of its economic impact and contribution to the overall workforce. However, the discovery of oil in the 1950s and the subsequent development...

The role of industrial zones in SME growth in emerging markets

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As governments across Africa look to bolster the economic potential of small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs), industrial parks and special economic zones (SEZs) are emerging as key enablers of their development. SMEs are the backbone of the global economy, particularly in emerging markets, where they make up 90% of all businesses and create 50% of all jobs. The impact is higher in Africa, where SMEs employ around 80% of the continent’s workforce. But while SMEs are a major economic driver, there is also significant room for...