Economy in Niger

  • Africa’s economic growth in 2016 was driven by East Africa

    BOTSWANA, 2017/08/20 While the continent’s major economies were hit by the fall in commodity prices in 2016, Africa retained its position as the second-fastest growing continent globally recording an average of 2.2% GDP increase, behind only South Asia, according to the African Development Bank Group (AfDB). Much of Africa’s increase in 2016, AfDB says, was driven by East Africa where several nations recorded “strong performances.” In general, of the continent’s sub-regions, East Africa posted the highest increase rate with 5.3%, led by Ethiopia.
  • West Africa BCEAO central bank holds interest rates unchanged

    BENIN, 2017/07/19 West Africa's BCEAO central bank held its benchmark interest rate unchanged at 2.5 %, the bank's director of monetary analysis Antonin Sourou Dossou said in a statement on Wednesday.
  • Global economic gravity rapidly pulling towards Africa

    BOTSWANA, 2017/06/20 The second International Conference on the Emergence of Africa (ICEA) was held in Abidjan, Côte d’Ivoire, in March 2017. Since the initial conference in 2015 — at a time of robust economic increase on the continent — hopes for economic evolution have dimmed because of a crash in the price of commodities, volatile world financial markets and a slowdown in world increase. Before departing New York to attend the second ICEA conference, jointly organised by the World Bank, the African Development Bank and the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP), Assistant Secretary-General of the UN and chief of UNDP’s Regional Bureau for Africa Abdoulaye Mar Dieye sat down for an interview with Africa Renewal’s Kingsley Ighobor to talk about Africa’s economic development opportunities and challenges.
  • Take responsibility for transforming your countries – Akufo-Addo

    BOTSWANA, 2017/06/15 President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo has urged African leaders to assume responsibility for the transformation of their economies, and depart from the mindset of aid, dependency and charity. “If we, Africans, are to transform our stagnant, jobless economies, built on the export of raw materials and unrefined goods, to price-added economies that provide jobs, to build strong middle-class societies and lift the mass of our people out of dire poverty, again we must take our destinies into our own hands and assume responsibility for this,” he stated on Monday at the same time as addressing the G-20 Partnership for Africa Summit, currently taking place in Berlin, Germany.
  • Rise of middle class, fact or fiction

    BOTSWANA, 2017/04/26 White-walled tyres on his bike appear to elevate a trendy young man from the lower classes but the question is whether he is contributing towards sustainable economic increase. THE middle classes in the world south have gained growing attention since the turn of the century, mainly through their rapid ascendancy in the Asian emerging economies. A side result of the economic increase during these “fat years” was a relative increase of monetary gain for a growing number of households. This as well benefited some lower gain groups in resource-rich African economies. A lot of part these crossed the defined poverty levels, which were raised in late 2015 from $1.25 (R16) a person a day to $1.90. As some economists had suggested, from as little as $2 they were considered as entering the “middle class”.
  • Data can fuel Africa's economic growth

    BOTSWANA, 2016/11/30 Africa is home to some of the world’s fastest-growing economies and one of the majority promising regions for international investment . This increase could be accelerated by addressing a fixable problem: lack of good data. Reliable, accessible data plays a critical role in any economy. Investors require data before making decisions, and the additional complete and up-to-date the data, the better their willingness to invest. Data as well helps public officials make sound decisions that promote increase and innovation, and enables citizens to hold government and business accountable.
  • This is why, despite challenges, Africa can still rise

    BOTSWANA, 2016/10/04 Is the honeymoon over for African economies? Less than a decade ago, it seemed that the continent’s economic dreams were beginning approaching authentic, with a lot of nations experiencing impressive GDP increase and development. Presently, as the harsh reality of the continent’s vulnerability to challenging external conditions has set in, sustaining that increase has proved difficult. Encumbered by slowing increase in China, a collapse in commodity prices, and adverse spillover from numerous security crises, Africa’s in general annual GDP increase averaged just 3.3% in 2010-2015, barely keeping up with people increase, and down sharply from the 4.9% recorded from 2000 to 2008.
  • Africa’s economic growth is likely to be slower in the intervening years

    BOTSWANA, 2016/05/12 Africa’s economic increase is likely to be slower in the intervening years than in the before decade, according to the new rating by Ernst & Young using a barometer to gauge the level of appeal and success.“The baseline projection of the International Monetary Fund (IMF) for 2016 is presently reduced to 3%, while it was estimated at 6.1% in April 2015″, Ernst & Young points out in its rating.
  • Global growth will be disappointing in 2016: IMF's Lagarde

    AFGHANISTAN, 2016/01/02 World economic increase will be disappointing next year and the outlook for the medium-term has as well deteriorated, the chief of the International Monetary Fund said in a guest article for German newspaper Handelsblatt published on Wednesday. IMF Managing Director Christine Lagarde said the prospect of rising interest rates in the United States and an economic slowdown in China were contributing to uncertainty and a higher risk of economic vulnerability worldwide. Added to that, increase in world trade has slowed considerably and a decline in raw material prices is posing problems for economies based on these, while the financial sector in a lot of nations still has weaknesses and financial risks are rising in emerging markets, she said.
  • Nigeria: Following elections, all eyes set on the Niger Delta

    NIGER, 2015/04/22 In the aftermath of Nigeria’s 2015 presidential elections, investor relief over the absence of widespread post-election violence manifested in the country’s All-Share Index registering its highest gains since March 2010. However, the economic bounce for the incoming president, Muhammadu Buhari of the All Progressives Congress (APC), may be short lived unless he can get to grips with pressing political and fiscal challenges facing the country. Nigeria’s overdependence on oil in the face of plunging international prices, spiralling inflation, depreciation of the naira and slowing economic increase will be key concerns for the incoming government. All major policy decisions will be watched closely by investors. However, Mr Buhari’s handling of the situation in the volatile south-eastern Niger Delta may prove the linchpin to his success. The region will be central to the government’s ability to fasten revenues from its vast oil and gas reserves, and is indispensable for much needed economic diversification.  Lack of economic policy orientation Voters have provided the opposition APC with clear majorities in both Houses of the National Assembly, which will be crucial to implement the new government’s legislative schedule over the next four years. Spurred by its national success, the APC as well fared well in 11 April’s governorship and national assembly elections, winning 19 of the 28 governor posts. These wins as well reduce the PDP’s political relevance for the time being to the oil-rich Delta. However, where the election results leave Nigeria in terms of next economic policies still remains unclear. During the campaign, the APC was careful to avoid any commitment to concrete policy initiatives. The party still has to prove that it maintained silence over these issues to avoid distraction from Mr Buhari’s trademark themes of security and corruption - rather than for lack of a shared vision between its northern and south-western power blocks.