The Nigerian economy grew by 2.31 percent in the first quarter of 2023, according to a report by the National Bureau of Statistics (NBS) released in May 2023. However, compared to the fourth quarter's GDP growth, which was 3.52 percent, this represents a fall of 1.21 percentage points. Compared to the first quarter's economic growth of 3.11 percent the year before, GDP growth decreased by 0.80 percentage points annually.

Nigeria produced a total of 999,000 barrels per day (bpd) in the month of April 2023, according to the latest monthly oil market report of the Organization of Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC). This output, however, indicates a decline of 270,000bpd from the 1.27 million bpd produced in the month of March; it also represents the third successive decline in monthly oil production since February 2023 and the fourth production slump in the five months leading from December 2022. Consequently, Nigeria has once again lost its place as Africa’s highest crude oil producer, falling behind Angola, which produced a total of 1.06 million bpd in the period under review after improving by 91,000bpd from 972,000bpd in March 2023.

The COVID-19 pandemic has given rise to arguably the most challenging global health crisis in modern times. Its impact has been felt by most sectors of the global economy, resulting in economic decline around the world. Governments have committed at least $12 trillion towards a recovery stimulus with a focus on immediate needs, including healthcare, job security and food security. However, studies show that the economic response to the COVID-19 crisis has also reinforced negative environmental trends, as few governments have used COVID-19 stimulus packages to transform the economic trajectory of their countries in a way that responds positively to climate change and enhances environmental sustainability. This despite the fact that climate change is one of the biggest threats facing humanity today. With properly designed stimulus packages that are climate friendly, countries can build back in a way that is more sustainable, resilient and inclusive.

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This article was first published by SAIIA

The monthly report by the Organisation of Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC) on the global movement in oil prices revealed that crude oil prices increased in April 2023. Specifically, the OPEC Reference Basket (ORB) increased, on average, from $78.45/Barrel in March 2023 to $84.13/Barrel in April 2023. This represents an increase of about 7.2 percent.

The National Bureau of Statistics (NBS), in its Selected Food Prices Watch Report for March 2023, has stated that prices of food items such as beef, yam, beans, etc., witnessed increases in March 2023.

This study discusses the transformative impact of technology on society and on understanding how technological innovation in the public sector is driving citizens’ participation in governance.The study also examines the roles of technology and governance in sustainable development. It highlights the importance of promoting an institutional framework that fosters digital evolution. The authors argue it is the key to inclusive and sustainable growth, improved governance, and responsive service delivery.The paper focuses on three sub-Saharan countries—Nigeria, Rwanda and Senegal. It evaluates the contexts of digital transformation and governance to link the two, and develops a framework to guide the discussion on inclusive digital transformation in government. In addition, a rigorous evaluation of current policies, combined with expert interviews, was conducted to highlight how these issues interact to attain sustainable development. 

This paper was originally published on Southern Voice

As we approach the midpoint of the timeline to achieve the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), it is more important than ever to prioritise the contributions of the Global South’s fast-growing youth population in shaping its future. Young researchers and policy advocates within think tanks in the Global South, in particular, need to be more actively included. Think tanks occupy an important space in the Global South, bringing evidence-based interventions and advocacy to relevant global spaces. While collaboration in research and policy work is generally agreed to have numerous benefits, not enough attention has been given to improving it within the Global South.

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This policy brief was written by Tikristini Olawale, Zamiyat Abubakar and Tracy Mamoun, and first published by the Southern Voice

The prices of key energy products – petrol, kerosene, cooking gas, and diesel – have increased significantly in March 2023 compared to their respective levels in March 2022. According to NBS, the average price of petrol increased by 42.63 percent from N185.3 per litre in March 2022 to N264.29 in March 2023. Similarly, the average retail price of refilling a 5kg cylinder of cooking gas rose by 22.03 percent from N3,778.3 to N4,600.57, while the average retail price of diesel increased from N539.32 to N836.81 (55.9 percent) over the same period.

Electricity demand increased in Q3 2022, as the National Bureau of Statistics (NBS) report shows.
Specifically, the report showed that total customer numbers increased by 1.20 percent from 10.81 million in Q2 2022 to 10.94 million on monthly basis. However, on yearly basis, the total customer numbers declined in Q3 2022 by 1.19 percent from 11.07 million in Q3 2021.