*Health, Insurance, And Entrepreneurship To Take Centre Stage At NASRE Foundation’s Third Media Outreach Event

The Nigerian Association of Social and Resourceful Editors (NASRE) has announced the third edition of its Media Outreach Programme, scheduled for Thursday, 21st November 2024, at LTV 8, Agidingbi, Ikeja, Lagos, beginning at 12:00 pm.

In a statement by NASRE’s Media Director, Lateef Owodunni, explained that the last outreach for the year will not only focus on supporting vulnerable journalists, such as widowed and ailing members of the fourth estate, but also aims to empower active journalists through impactful sessions on health, insurance, and entrepreneurship.

“Our goal for this last edition of our outreach for the year is to broaden the scope of support we offer. Beyond providing relief to vulnerable journalists, we are introducing sessions on health, insurance, and entrepreneurship to ensure active journalists gain valuable insights that can positively impact their careers and personal lives,” Owodunni stated.

The Media Outreach Programme, which has benefitted numerous journalists in its earlier editions, is designed to foster solidarity, growth, and resilience within the media community.

This third edition promises to bring together media professionals, associations, and stakeholders in an inspiring and empowering atmosphere.

NASRE invites journalists, media associations, and enthusiasts to participate in this landmark event, which highlights the importance of care, collaboration, and innovation in addressing the challenges faced by those in the journalism profession.

Top 5 Richest Countries in the World 2024

Many of the world’s richest countries are also the world’s smallest: the pandemic, the global economic slowdown and geopolitical turmoil have barely made a dent in their huge wealth.

What do people think when they think about the world’s richest countries? And what comes to mind when they think about the world’s smallest countries? Many people would probably be surprised to find that many of the planet’s wealthiest nations are also among the tiniest.

Some very small and very rich countries—like San Marino, Luxembourg, Switzerland and Singapore—benefit from having sophisticated financial sectors and tax regimes that attract foreign investment, professional talent and large bank deposits. Others like Qatar and the United Arab Emirates have large reserves of hydrocarbons or other lucrative natural resources. Shimmering casinos and hordes of tourists are good for business too: Asia’s gambling haven Macao remains one of the most affluent states in the world despite having endured almost three years of intermittent lockdowns and pandemic-related travel restrictions.

But what do we mean when we say a country is “rich,” especially in an era of growing income inequality between the super-rich and everyone else? While gross domestic product (GDP) measures the value of all goods and services produced in a nation, dividing this output by the number of full-time residents is a better way of determining how rich or poor one country’s population is relative to another’s. The reason why “rich” often equals “small” then becomes clear: these countries’ economies are disproportionately large compared to their small number of inhabitants.

However, only when taking into account inflation rates and the cost of local goods and services can we get a more accurate picture of a nation’s average standard of living: the resulting figure is what is called purchasing power parity (PPP), often expressed in international dollars to allow comparisons between different countries.

Should we then automatically assume that in nations where PPP is particularly high the overall population is visibly better off than in most other places in the world? Not quite. We are dealing with averages and within each country structural inequalities can easily swing the balance in favor of those who are already advantaged.

The COVID-19 pandemic lifted the veil on these disparities in ways few could have predicted. While there is no doubt that the wealthiest nations—often more vulnerable to the coronavirus due to their older population and other risk factors—had the resources to take better care of those in need, those resources were not equally accessible to all. Furthermore, the economic fallout of lockdowns hit low-paid workers harder than those with high-paying occupations and that, in turn, fueled a new kind of inequality between those who could comfortably work from home and those who had to risk their health and safety by traveling to job sites. Those who lost their jobs because their industries shut down entirely found themselves without much of a safety net—large holes in the most celebrated welfare systems in the world were exposed.

Then as the pandemic subsided, inflation surged globally, Russia invaded Ukraine, exacerbating the food and oil price crisis. The Israel-Hamas followed, bringing more disruption to supply chains and commodity and energy markets. Lower-income families always tend to be hit the hardest, as they are forced to spend greater proportions of their incomes on basic necessities—housing, food and transportation—whose prices are more volatile and tend to increase the most.

In the 10 poorest countries in the world, the average per-capita purchasing power is less than $1,500 while in the 10 richest it is over $110,000, according to data from the International Monetary Fund (IMF).

A word of caution about these statistics: the IMF has warned repeatedly that certain numbers should be taken with a grain of salt. For example, many nations in our ranking are tax havens, which means their wealth was originally generated elsewhere which artificially inflates their GDP. While a global deal to ensure that big companies pay a minimum tax rate of 15% was signed in 2021 by more than 130 governments (a deal that has yet to be implemented due to the opposition of legislators and politicians in many of them), critics have argued that this rate is barely higher than that tax havens like Ireland, Qatar and Macao. It is estimated that over 15% of global jurisdictions are tax havens and the IMF has estimated further that by the end of the 2020s, about 40% of global foreign direct investment flows could be attributed to shrewd tax-evading tactics, up from 30% in the 2010s. In other words: these investments pass through empty corporate shells and bring little or no economic gain to the population where the money ends up.

1. Luxembourg🇱🇺

Current International Dollars: 143,743 | Click To View GDP & Economic Data

You can visit Luxembourg for its castles and beautiful countryside, its cultural festivals or gastronomic specialties. Or you could just set up an offshore account through one of its banks and never set foot in the country again. Doing so would be a pity: situated at the very heart of Europe, this nation of close to 670,000 has plenty to offer, both to tourists and citizens. Luxembourg uses a large share of its wealth to deliver better housing, healthcare and education to its people, who by far enjoy the highest standard of living in the Eurozone.

While the global financial crisis and pressure from the EU and OECD to reduce banking secrecy may have had little impact on Luxembourg’s economy, the coronavirus outbreak forced many businesses to close and cost workers their jobs. Yet, the country has weathered the pandemic better than most of its European neighbors: its economy rebounded from -0.9% growth in 2020 to over 7% growth in 2021. Unfortunately, due to high interest rates, the war in Ukraine, and a broader deterioration of the economic conditions in the Eurozone, that rebound did not last long: the economy grew by just 1.3% in 2022 and even contracted by 1% in 2023 (although it is projected to grow by 1.2% this year.)

Still, weak economic growth may not be worth complaining when your living standards are this high: Luxembourg topped the $100,000 mark in per capita GDP in 2014 and has never looked back ever since.

2. Macao SAR🇲🇴

Current International Dollars: 134,141 | Click To View GDP & Economic Data

Just a few years ago, many were betting that the Las Vegas of Asia was on its way to becoming the richest nation in the world—it encountered a few bumps along the road. Formerly a colony of the Portuguese Empire, the gaming industry was liberalized in 2001 this special administrative region of the People’s Republic of China has seen its wealth growing at an astounding pace. With a population of about 700,000, and more than 40 casinos spread over a territory of about 30 square kilometers, this narrow peninsula just south of Hong Kong became a money-making machine.

That, at least, was until the machine started losing money rather than making it. When Covid struck, global traveling came to a halt, and for a while Macao even slipped out of the 10 richest nations ranking. Since then, Macao has returned to business as —and then some. Its per-capita purchasing power was about $125,000 in 2019—it is even higher today.

3. Ireland🇮🇪

Current International Dollars: 133,895 | Click To View GDP & Economic Data

A nation of about 5.3 million inhabitants, the Republic of Ireland was one of the hardest hit by the 2008-9 financial crisis. Following politically difficult reform measures like deep cuts to public-sector wages and restructuring its banking industry, the island nation regained its fiscal health, boosted its employment rates and saw its per capita GDP grow exponentially.

However, context is important. Ireland is one of the world’s largest corporate tax havens, which benefits multinationals far more than it benefits the average Irish person. Halfway through the 2010s, many large US firms—Apple, Google, Microsoft, Meta and Pfizer to name a few—moved their fiscal residence to Ireland to benefit from its low corporate tax rate of 12.5%, one of the most attractive in the developed world. In 2023, these multinationals accounted for close over 50% of the total value added to the Irish economy. If Ireland were to adopt the minimum corporate tax rate of 15% proposed by the OECD and already implemented by many countries, it would lose its competitive advantage.

Further, while Irish families are undoubtedly better off than they used to be, the national household per-capita disposable income remains slightly lower than the overall EU average according to data from the OECD. With a considerable gap between the richest and poorest (the top 20% of the population earns almost five times as much as the bottom 20%), most Irish citizens would likely balk at the idea that they are among the richest in the world.

4. Singapore🇸🇬

Current International Dollars: 133,737 | Click To View GDP & Economic Data

With assets of about $16 billion, the richest person living in Singapore is an American: Eduardo Saverin, the co-founder of Facebook, who in 2011 left the U.S. with 53 million shares of the company and became a permanent resident of the island nation. Like many other fellow millionaires and billionaires, Saverin did not choose it just for its urban attractions or natural gateways: Singapore is an affluent fiscal haven where capital gains and dividends are tax-free.

But how did Singapore manage to attract so many high-net-worth individuals? When the city-state became independent in 1965, one-half of its population was illiterate. With virtually no natural resources, Singapore pulled itself up by its bootstraps through hard work and smart policy, becoming one of the most business-friendly places in the world. Today, Singapore is a thriving trade, manufacturing and financial hub and 98% of the adult population is now literate.

Unfortunately, that did not make it immune from the pandemic-driven global economic downturn: in 2020, the economy shrank by 3.9%, knocking the nation into recession for the first time in more than a decade. In 2021, Singapore’s economy bounced back with an 8.8% growth, but then the slowdown in China, a top trading partner, derailed the recovery. China’s economic problems hit Singapore’s manufacturing sector—which makes up roughly 20% of Singapore’s total GDP—particularly hard. The economy expanded by just 1% in 2023, and is not projected to grow much further than 2% in 2024 and 2025.

5. Qatar🇶🇦

Current International Dollars: 112,283 | Click To View GDP & Economic Data

Despite the recent recovery, oil prices have on average declined since the mid-2010s. In 2014, the per-capita GDP of a Qatari citizen was over $143,222; one year later, it plunged significantly and remained below the $100,000 mark for the next five years. However, that figure has gradually grown, increasing by about $10,000 each year.

Still, Qatar’s oil, gas and petrochemical reserves are so large and its population so small—just 3 million—that this marvel of ultramodern architecture, luxury shopping malls and fine cuisine has managed to stay atop the list of the world’s richest nations for 20 years.

No rich country, however, is without its problems. With only about 12% of the country’s residents being Qatari nationals, the initial months of the pandemic saw Covid-19 spreading rapidly among low-income migrant workers living in crowded quarters, triggering one of the highest rates of positive cases in the region. Then, falling energy prices meant falling government and private sector revenues. An export-oriented economy, Qatar also suffered from the disruption in global trade caused by the war in Ukraine. Later on, the conflict in Gaza sparked renewed fears and uncertainty across the Middle East. Still, until now, the economy has proven to be sufficiently resilient. It is projected to grow by around 2% in 2024 and 2025.

– Eight Nigerian banks experienced an increase in customer deposits, which rose to N85.58 trillion in the third quarter of 2024.

– The increase represents a 12.2% increase, which shows customers confidence in the banking sector

– Zenith Bank led the pack with the highest customer deposits in the review period, with N21.57 trillion.

Customer deposits in eight commercial banks hit N85.58 trillion in the third quarter of 2024, representing a 12.2% increase from the N76.26 trillion recorded in the corresponding period in 2023.

The information is contained in the banks’ unaudited interim financials for the period ended September 30, which they filed with the Nigerian Exchange Limited (NGX).

Breakdown of the banks’ customer deposits

Customer deposit is the money a customer pays into a bank to secure goods or services or to make an advance payment on an order or project.

Zenith Bank recorded the highest customer de-posits at N21.57 trillion in the review period, from the N13.38 trillion recorded in Q3 2023.

The figure is a 61% increase driven by demand deposits, which rose from N7 trillion to N8 trillion.

Access Holdings followed next with N22.28 trillion in customer deposits compared to N15.32 trillion in Q3 2023, representing a 46% yearly increase.

The bank’s demand deposits stood at N9.36 trillion from N6,83 trillion in 2023.

First Bank increased to N16.72 trillion in the review period from N10.66 trillion in the same period in 2023, showing a 57% increase.

The bank’s demand deposits rose to N3.87 trillion, savings deposits reached N4.12 trillion, and term deposits spiked to N8.72 trillion.

Guaranty Trust Bank reported an N10.68 trillion increase in customer deposits under review from N7.41 trillion in the same period in 2023.

Term deposits of the bank rose from N846.09 billion to N1.46 trillion, while savings deposits rose from N3.29 trillion to N4.21 trillion.

Fidelity Bank recorded N6.08 trillion in customer deposits in the review period, relative to N4.01 trillion recorded in Q3 2023, representing a 52% increase, while term deposits rose from N75.99 billion to N309.80 billion.

Sterling Bank recorded customer deposits of N2.46 trillion in the period under review, up from the N1.84 trillion it recorded in the corresponding period in 2023.

The bank’s savings deposits rose from N1.10 trillion to N1.50 trillion, and term deposits stood at N1.23 trillion from N742.12 billion.

Its savings deposits rose from N1.10 trillion to N1.50 trillion, and term deposits increased from N742.12 to N1.23 trillion.

Stanbic IBTC’s deposits swelled to N2.46 trillion from N1.84 trillion in 2023, representing a 34% increase.

The growth was driven by current accounts, which spiked from N1.04 trillion to N1.33 trillion, and savings accounts rose from N337.25 billion to N478.22 billion.

Wema Bank experienced a 23% yearly increase in customer deposits, from N1.86 trillion in 2023 to N2.29 trillion in 2023.

Nigerian banks’ customer deposits explode in 2024

Punch reports that the value of customers’ bank deposits rose to N136 trillion as of March 2024.

Total bank deposits rose by 63%, from N70.5 trillion in 2022 to N115 trillion in 2023, hitting N136 trillion in March 2024, an 18.26% increase in three months.

CBN clarifies position on converting foreign currency

Legit.ng earlier reported that the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) had issued new rules clarifying that commercial, merchant, and non-interest banks (CMNIBs) should let holders convert their internationally tradable foreign currency (ITTC) balances in designated domiciliary accounts into the local currency, the naira, at any time, using the prevailing exchange rate.

The bank disclosed that all conversions must be fully disclosed and reported as part of the bank’s exchange rate requirements.

Legit.ng reported that in February 2024, the apex bank reaffirmed that it would not coerce domiciliary account holders to convert their holdings into naira.