The global economy has experienced unprecedented challenges posed by the pandemic. Central to these enduring repercussions is the escalation of public debt, casting a shadow over the fiscal space of governments and their ability to make progress in achieving the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) and address the growing impacts of climate change. It is thus urgent to reconsider debt restructuring strategies, the conditionalities associated with International Financial Institutions loans, and emerging fiscal frameworks for the developing world. In this policy brief, we develop four concrete proposals involving international financial institutions, which can function as avenues to tackle the challenges mentioned above: (a) alternative ways to define sustainability in international financial institutions debt analysis; (b) to promote debt-for-climate swaps; (c) support the implementation of green tax reforms; and (d) support government implementing non-regressive tax reforms.

This article was Frist Published at t20brasil

Youth unemployment and gender inequality are some of the key development challenges across Africa today

This brief examines the potential impact of a minimum wage increase in Nigeria, taking into account the current economic state and the factors driving inflation. It also provides a minimum wage recommendation to guide the government and labor unions in reaching a realistic minimum wage.

There is a consensus among policymakers in Africa that high unemployment, especially among youth, is a major impediment to inclusive growth. A recent Afrobarometer survey (Round 9) underscores this concern, revealing that 40 percent of African youth identify unemployment as the primary issue that governments should address. In response, regional and national policies, such as the Job for Youth in Africa program (2016-2025), have been designed to tackle the unemployment problem. However, labor statistics on the continent indicate a more complex situation, where the quality of jobs is a greater concern than their quantity. Quality or decent jobs refers to employment that is "fair, dignified, stable, and secure", as opposed to vulnerable employment. Current estimates place the unemployment rate on the continent at 11.6%, while vulnerable employment reaches as high as 80% in several countries.

This brief was written by Adedeji Adenira PhD , Chukwuma Nwofor and Halimat Abdulrazaq

Data governance has emerged as a central tenet for countries, not only to realise the benefits of digital revolution but also to mitigate the growing risks and threats that emanate from the digital space. Over the last decade, the number of African countries with at least a form of data protection/regulation policy has increased from 12 in 2012 to 36 in 2024. However, the national approach to data governance has its limits, particularly in African countries with low digital development and a high dominance of global digital platform firms.