In many countries, myriad policy efforts and initiatives have been launched toward achieving the goal of Education for All. These include: grass-roots lobbying for the importance of schooling, political declarations for universal access to education, i …

This brief examines the implications of emerging threats to good data governance in Africa, as it relates to restrictive data policies and abuse of state power. Based on our analysis of data regulations/policy documents, studies by industry experts, an …

Globally, tobacco consumption continues to cause a huge burden of preventable diseases. Nigeria has been leading tobacco markets in Africa and the absolute number of active smokers remains one of the highest on the continent. Yet, little is known on th …

This inception report focuses on the emerging trends in Africa’s digital and data environment. The study builds a case for mobilizing action at both regional and national levels, to strengthen data governance frameworks in Africa, particularly in view …

The COVID-19 pandemic has had severe impacts on Nigeria’s macroeconomy and the livelihoods of households. The economy suffered from a recession in the third quarter of 2020, however, key sectors including telecommunications and information services (15 …

China’s investment in African infrastructure as part of its Belt and Road Initiative has proven to be both transformative and controversial. While investment projects are helping Africa to close its infrastructure gap, they have also raised fears of ru …

Nigeria is faced with substantial economic and health burdens caused by tobacco smoking. The economic burden of smoking accounts for approximately 1.3 per cent of Nigeria’s GDP. In terms of its health impact, 4.9 per cent of all deaths in 2019 were att …

Economic development is linked with increased state capacity including the ability to mobilise domestic tax resources. For many developing countries, high levels of informality are a major constraint in this regard. Yet, economic incentives like changi …

Micro, small and medium enterprises (MSMEs) in Africa have been particularly vulnerable to the economic impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic, with demand for their products and services declining since the outbreak in late 2019. A recent African Union repo …

Affordable and efficient energy supply is essential for enhanced welfare and better development outcomes. However, African states suffer from huge deficits in energy generation and distribution, resulting in unreliable power networks, frequent power ou …

The COVID-19 pandemic has had a debilitating effect on the Nigerian economy. Specifically, the combination of lockdown measures and the global slowdown of economic activities led to the contraction of Nigeria’s GDP by 6.1% in the second quarter of 2020 …

This brief assesses the policy responses to COVID-19 among low-income countries (LICs) in Africa. While LICs have adopted expansionary fiscal and monetary policies in the face of economic lockdown, as well as other mitigation strategies, the scale and …

In the past decade, digitalization and digital technology adoption have become increasingly pervasive in most African countries. These developments promise life-changing benefits for consumers, businesses and governments, and enormous gains in terms of …

This brief examines the challenges towards green energy transition in Africa and the prospect of regional integration in fast-tracking this process. Regional integration as being proposed among African countries can sidestep some of the constraints tha …

Globally, the trade in illicit tobacco products has increasingly been a source of concern for policymakers, development practitioners and health officials owing to the diverse social and economic impact on health, government revenue and the financial s …

The past few weeks have ushered in a range of government sanctioned and structure-shifting risk-control directives across Nigeria and the Globe, in an attempt to curtail the spread of the novel coronavirus disease COVID-19. From international airport c …

The insecurity in the North Eastern parts of Nigeria manifests itself in a number of ways—some at times underappreciated. While the issue of forced migration to flee radical Islamist violence is certainly not hidden, nor particularly recent, the overwh …

This study examines the dimensions and drivers of exclusion in basic education in Nigeria using the Demographic Health Surveys of 2008 and 2013. It also maps the synergies and trade-offs between education and other relevant Sustainable Development Goal …

This study examined the market structure and recent developments in the tobacco control policy space in Nigeria. Smoking prevalence is growing in Nigeria and this poses significant health, public finance and productivity risks, requiring adequate polic …

Debt sustainability in Africa has emerged as a key concern among policymakers and development finance institutions (DFIs). Currently, 19 out of 54 countries in Africa exceed the 60% debt-to-gross domestic product (GDP) threshold prescribed by the Afric …

Presently, 19 African countries have exceeded the 60% debt-to-gross domestic product (GDP) threshold prescribed by the African Monetary Co-operation Programme (AMCP) for developing economies, while 24 have surpassed the 55% debt-to-GDP ratio suggested …

Nigeria’s economy has finally exited its worst recession in 29 years. After five quarters of negative growth, the economy grew by 0.55% in the second quarter of this year, a result largely driven by the oil sector which contributed about 78% of the gro …

This Policy Brief examines the response of the Nigerian government to the ongoing recession in the domestic economy, particularly in the context of the recently released Economic Recovery and Growth Plan (ERGP) for 2017-2020. It also provides an analys …