Ever wondered how the ups and downs of financial markets ripple all the way to the price of your dinner? A two-city media training in Nigeria has been digging into just that, helping journalists connect the dots between global trade, commodity prices, debt, and everyday costs.
The training, held in Abuja (September 8–9, and to hold in Lagos, September 11–12), was organized by Casa África, the Spanish Embassy in Nigeria, and AECID, alongside partners including the Nigerian Guild of Editors (NGE) and Ouida. Titled “How do financial markets affect the cost of your dinner?”, the programme aimed to unpack the complex ties between Nigeria’s trade flows, global markets, and vulnerabilities affecting households.
Over two days, media professionals explored Nigeria’s major imports and exports, key trade partners, and global commodity players using tools like the MIT Economic Complexity Index. They analyzed how trade wars, supply chain shifts, and currency fluctuations influence prices of essentials – like jollof rice ingredients and fertilizers – and what this means for inflation and household budgets.
Training sessions also dove deep into Nigeria’s debt profile and repayment challenges, showing how international borrowing connects with fiscal policy and food self-sufficiency. Participants learned to use World Bank and IMF data to decode debt risks and opportunities, linking these insights to the bigger picture of Nigeria’s economic health.
Led by economic journalist Jaume Portell Caño, the programme empowered Nigerian journalists with fresh analytical skills and economic literacy. The goal: to make global financial concepts relatable and help the media foster informed communities and stronger economic policies.
Leave a comment