The 2011 Nigerian presidential election results show a significant north-south split.

The new All Progressive Congress party has created battleground states for the 2015 elections.

Sub-Saharan Africa’s progress towards the Millennium Development Goals has varied.

Recent African growth has been driven by the expansion of a dynamic service sector, despite the fact that most Africans work in agriculture, and industry traditionally has been an “escalator” to economic growth.

Although sub-Saharan Africa has attracted more and better finance in the form of FDI, most investment went to resource-rich countries and in extractive industries over the past decade.

Over the past decade, gross private capital flows to sub-Saharan Africa have grown by 19.4 percent per year.

The Ebola epidemic devastated the populations of Sierra Leone, Guinea and Liberia in 2014.

The United States, United Kingdom and multilateral institutions are the top donors in the fight against Ebola, but over 50 countries have pledged or given support.

Without the renewal of the African Growth and Opportunity Act, most AGOA-eligible countries stand to lose a lot in terms of exports.

China has recently surpassed the United States as Africa’s top trade partner.

Africa will hold at least 15 elections in 2015.