Africa Economy

Falling oil prices and increased instability in the north impacted Nigeria’s economic growth in 2014, though a rebasing of GDP means that whoever wins the forthcoming presidential elections in 2015 will take the helm of Africa’s largest economy. 

Si la diversification de l’économie constitue pour le Gabon un objectif clé dans le cadre de la stratégie du Gabon Émergent, le pays s’est employé en 2014 à augmenter sa production de matières premières, ce qui a contribué au maintien de taux de croissance solides, et ce dans un contexte de climat budgétaire tendu.

Egypt has been making impressive progress in straightening up its balance sheet in recent months. Steep cuts in energy subsidies coupled with a drop in world oil prices have given the Middle East’s most populous country some fiscal breathing space, following three years of increasing budget deficits, mounting debt and reduced foreign currency reserves. 

While the headlines on Ghana’s 2015 budget focus on the short-term impacts of fiscal tightening, the proposed changes should have a positive bearing on the overall economy over time. 

Ces dernières années, l’Algérie a enregistré des performances économiques relativement solides. Le  FMI a toutefois fait remarquer que la chute des prix du pétrole pourrait peser sur les performances à court terme, rappelant le rôle prépondérant que le secteur des hydrocarbures continue de jouer sur la croissance.

Cocoa production in Ghana is expected to receive a fillip in the current crop season with a substantial price hike for farmers and a new funding deal likely to encourage growth at a time when the global climate for cocoa remains uncertain and Ghana's output has dropped.