Ideas and agenda for economic growth and human development in sub-saharan Africa
The debate about the restructuring of the Nigeria has generated a wide range of responses from all sections of the Nigerian society. Former military dictator Ibrahim Babangida is among latter day advocates who have joined the chorus for restructuring of the Federal Republic of Nigeria. In short, restructuring is the new fad in town. Understandably,…
In a rentier economy dominated by patron politicians feeding off the proceeds of crude oil, Aliko Dangote stands apart as one who is, at least, making his money from actually producing things. A non politician, an industrious businessman making things happen in a difficult environment, a patriotic Africanist determined to do business only in Africa,…
The news surrounding the struggle of innonson motors is unfortunate, but hardly surprising. Ambitious entrepreneurs make things happen against the odds, but even the most ambitious entrepreneurs will find it especially hard in such a debilitating environment like Nigeria, where the fundamentals are just not working First, in order for manufacturers like Innonson cars to…
It seems Saraki is trending on social media now. Will he attend his summon today by the CCB, or will he not? Why doesn’t he just go and clear his name? He should resign. He should go to jail. Abbla bla. If he resigns his senate presidency or even his senate membership as a…
The aftermath of the April 2015 presidential election has revealed as much about the psyche of the average Nigerian citizen as much as the events of the few months leading to it. As the election campaign wore on, we saw citizens, including previous friends and allies, engaged in war of words, most of which is…
Nigeria’s newly elected president stated recently that the government need to, as a matter of urgent necessity a “conditional cash transfer” programme by which those without jobs can be given a sum of N5,000 a month to help them to survive and meet their basic needs. Among other things, he stated that “if we have…
A few days ago I was calling on citizens to reflect on what has turned out, unwittingly, to be a powerfully revolutionary statement from a bus conductor on the streets of Lagos. The fellow had angrily remonstrated with a passenger asking for “change” after paying his fares. Perhaps the passenger’s face was familiar, and…
Introduction The modern nation of Nigeria was born in 1960 amidst fanfare. As of then, forty six years had elapsed since the British amalgamation, in 1914, of the Northern and Southern Protectorates of Nigeria. The nationalist fathers fought a good fight, and it is instructive that diaspora students were at the heart of those nationalist…
(2nd edition) Author: Michael E. Porter Publisher: Palgrave, New York, 1998 855 pages Unlike David Landes’ Wealth and Poverty of Nations, which was unashamedly an euro-centric take on the political history of development, and unlike Jared Diamond’s Guns, Germs and Steel, the award winning anthropological history of development weakened by its far reaching environmental determinism,…
The sorry tale of the Nigerian state is such that much, if not all, the talk about the 2015 election has been how a strong man can come and fix the corruption problem in Nigeria. The debates and discussion have been constructed in terms of agreement or disagreement with this “strong man” solution. Even ardent…