In June 2016, I finally summoned the courage to challenge the World Bank’s Ease-of-Doing-Business Index. I mean, who was I, a ‘motor park economist’ as Governor Fayemi (perhaps fondly), and those guys who responded to me from the Osinbajo camp (disdainfully) called me. I will write about ‘motor parkism’ in economics someday down the line...
I have lately been doing quite a bit of research around the subject of international trade for Africa. The received wisdom for developing nations is that they need to trade their ways to economic development. Not that they have many choices in the matter. The developed nations have drawn the line in the sand and...
Nigeria is officially the poorest country on earth, bar Democratic Republic of Congo. With 70 million poor out of barely 200 million people, that is 35% of the entire population. In DR Congo, the estimate is about 55% of their population. Both countries are seeing increased poverty on a per second basis if we are...
I keep adding Mass Mobilization to many of my prescriptions for Nigeria to move ahead, because in my thinking, the idea by which a few people in government think they can solve the problems for the rest, is foolish. Nigerians must be rallied and constantly spokne to, and incentivised (monetarily and otherwise), towards the great...
Well, I am angry. Angry because the blood of those bombed out or shot to death at the dastardly Kaduna-bound train attacks have not dried up before we started seeing all sorts of funny declarations for the presidency in 2023. Nobody wishes such events to happen – except perhaps the perpetrators and their puppeteers –...
I have written several times about the ‘uselessness’ of the Abuja National Stadium (now known as MKO Abiola Stadium). Such a great facility for all-round sports lies fallow all year round, overgrown with weed and smothered in dust. Many ministers of sports have come and gone, and most of them prefer to give the stadium...
There are several reasons why Nigeria should absolutely move on from whatever is left of our COVID-19 restrictions, as well as what have now become unnecessary spending as an overbearing dependence on some categories of health providers like test labs, including disinfectants and temperature scanners everywhere. For one, the world is moving on, especially in...
“I challenge anybody to check from Europe, America, and Asia; between 1999-2014, Nigeria was producing 2.1 million barrels of crude oil per day at an average cost of 100 USD per barrel and it went up to 143 USD. When we came, it collapsed to $37 – $38 and later was oscillating between $40 and...
The Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria (FAAN) says Nigerians will still fly regardless of hike in aviation fares. FAAN explained that the rise in airfares was due to a hike in aviation fuel and the country’s exchange rate. Kunle Akinbode, head of corporate communications, Port Harcourt International Airport, said this in an interview with NAN on Monday....
If you borrow, you better pay, or else! I’ve been following the debate about the plethora of online lenders who take delight in harassing Nigerians, and the appeal for government to cage them. I believe though that there is a need to carefully examine the issue, within the broader context of our sociopsychological makeup and...
