Macroeconomic Report & Economic Updates
August 19, 2017
Africa Economic Update (Issue 6)
Available data shows that headline inflation reduced in most countries in the region in May 2017 relative to preceding months. Notably, headline inflation decreased in Nigeria (16.25 percent), Ghana (12.26 percent), Tanzania (6.1 percent), Senegal (1.8 percent), Namibia (6.3 percent) and Rwanda (11.7 percent), while it grew in South Africa (5.4 percent), Kenya (11.7 percent), Ethiopia (8.7 percent) and Uganda (7.2 percent). Cote dIvoire (-0.4 percent) recorded consumer price deflation. The decrease in consumer price in Nigeria, Tanzania and Ghana can be attributed to decreases in both food and non-food components of inflation. Regionally, all countries in Southern Africa recorded single digits inflation, however consumer price marginally increased in South Africa, for the first time in 2017 owing to spike in food prices6, and Botswana (both by 0.1 percent).
Related
Nigeria Economic Update (Issue 22)
Power
sector analysis shows a decline in power generated by 15.07 percent from a peak
of 3,424 mw to 2,908 mw between May 8, 2016 and May 15, 20169. The
declining power supply is attributable to vandalism of pipelines and gas
shortages, which has a debilitating effect on power generation. As part of the
efforts by the Federal Government to improve power supply in the country, the
Bank of Industry (BoI) is currently funding intervention projects to provide
alternative source of energy (solar) in rural areas across the country10.
Since the major problem facing power generation in the country is gas
shortages, the government should make concerted efforts to combat vandalism.
Nigeria Economic Update (Issue 20)
Power sector
analysis shows an increase in power generated by 15.5 percent from 3639.2 megawatt
to a peak of 4196.2 megawatt between April 22, 2016 and April 29, 201612,
albeit a sharp fall to 25.2 megawatts on April 23, 2016 following a system
collapse13. In a bid to attain the targeted 10,000 megawatts by 2019,
the Federal Government is set to complete the ongoing 47 power transmission
projects across the country, which would boost power supply14.
However, the delays in passing the budget into law is a major constraint to the
completion of the projects. Thus government needs to speed-up the passage of
the 2016 budget to provide the funds to complete the projects.