This is an issue that keeps me up thinking. However anyone who is used to Nigeria is also used to a tendency for Nigerian sellers etc. to form cartels. From danfo drivers, to pepper sellers to cement producers. There is also a myriad of isses that make us unable to achieve efficient competition.

I don’t see free market as bad or a silver bullet but our aversion to it hasn’t worked in most sectors. We have to fix a lot of fundamental issues and I think were supporters of the 2 groups you have mentioned get it wrong is that they look at their methods in vacuum:

E.G. The naysayers want govt to fix prices but normally don’t have any idea how such schemes should be funded or how to ensure that the govt subsidized or run schemes maintain a high level of efficiency.

On the other hand, The pro-free-market guys make the “competition assumption” you stated but don’t look into ways to a prevent “cartelization”, ensure minimum service levels and protect costumers in the “meanwhile”. They also sometimes underestimate the poverty of poor Nigerians and the relative inability to pay for some critical services.

End of the day, any observer sees that Nigeria needs a mix of the two not jackbooted antiquated theories or glib economic chicken soup.

We also need deep reform of the national structure and our systems. Some of that has started but progress is quite slow and some key areas seem to be overlooked.