Research and Analytics
Research and Analytics
Most trade takes place by sea, and—for navigational safety purposes—virtually all cargo ships report their position, speed, and other information many times a day. A new IMF methodology using these data can help better inform us how international trade is affected by the COVID-19 pandemic.
While the economic scale of the crisis grabs attention, and could even paralyze us, the human toll is even more pressing. Millions of lives in the poorest countries are on the precipice. The contagion they face isn’t just the virus, as devastating as that will be, but its travelling companions of poverty, deprivation, even starvation.
The World Bank’s Commodity Markets Outlook comes with large caveats including uncertainty over the pandemic’s duration and severity; the direction of energy and fertilizer prices; currency movements; changes to trade and domestic support policies; and possible disruptions in global supply chains.
On 4th May, the first phase of the gradual ease started and residents of Lagos state and Abuja were able to go out to their places of work again. As an independent economic research group, we also set out to observe how the citizens went about their economic activities, how they conveyed themselves, the cost associated with the movement as well as the activities of the transport unions in enforcing social distancing.
Culled from the International Monetary Fund / Image Credit: IMF Background Nigeria has been severely hit by the spread of COVID-19 and the associated sharp decline in oil prices. Government policy is responding to both these developments. The authorities have reported 3145 cases of COVID-19 and 103 deaths as of May 7, 2020. A range […]
This article gives an insight into how the citizens will likely react to the ease of lockdown within the first few weeks. It also explains why the use of Okada and Keke Napep will reduce contacts once the lockdown is lifted.
By Professor Chukwuma Charles Soludo/ Image Credit: WeeTracker This year 2020 begins a new decade that promises to be one of dreadful disruptions, with Africa holding the weakest end of the stick. In 2008/09, the global “great recession” was triggered by financial crisis in the US (world’s largest economy). Then, much of Africa was said […]
