2024 Facts & Figures: AFRICA

The population of NIGERIA is growing three times faster than the global average. The United Nations projects that by 2050, Nigeria’s population will top 375 million.

^{Source: africanews.com}

PERCENTAGE of SOUTH AFRICA’s electricity generated by burning coal, more than any other industrialized nation. Many nations are working to reduce coal use as part of efforts to address climate change. The shift away from coal in South Africa is challenging because more than 200,000 people work in coal mining, coal transportation, or coal power plants. 

^{Source: The New York Times}

SHARE of the world’s supply of cobalt produced by the DEMOCRATIC REPUBLIC OF THE CONGO (D.R.C.), which has more reserves of the valuable raw material than the rest of the world combined. Cobalt is used in batteries for smartphones, computers, and electric vehicles. Most of the miners extracting the D.R.C.’s cobalt work in dangerous conditions for just a few dollars a day. 

^{Source: NPR}

UGANDA’s rhinos were wiped out in the early 1980s by people hunting them for their horns. But now, the population is steadily recovering. Since the reintroduction of six rhinos into the wild in 2005, their number has grown to 34. New conservation laws and stiff punishments for violations have helped.  

^{Sources: Reuters, Ziwa Rhino Sanctuary}

Climbers of Mount Kilimanjaro, the highest mountain in Africa, can now do some surfing—web surfing, that is. High-speed Wi-Fi became operational on the top of the 19,341-foot-tall mountain in TANZANIA in 2022. Having Wi-Fi makes climbing Kilimanjaro safer because hikers and guides can access navigation apps and call for help more easily. 

^{Source: NPR}