Vox Nigeria

What I Learned From Reading *Made In Africa*

Insights from an important policy book

How To Solve The Alhaji Problem

I know my people.

As I’ve written about Alhaji Putin, it won't be long before someone says I’m working for Lafarge or Alhaji’s enemies. So, to the extent that we agree there’s a problem with someone paying N12bn in taxes on N1trn profits, what’s…

What’s Behind Ethnic Conflicts In Lagos?

Another day, another sad story of violent ethnic conflict in Lagos. But this one feels all too familiar. I remember the violent clashes that erupted in the same Mile 12 market and its surrounding neighbourhoods in November 1999. This was where I spent most of…

Poverty Reduction In Nigeria: Welfare and Transfers Edition

I am sure by now it is no longer news that the federal government plans to spend $2.5billion of the 2016 budget on a social welfare program in its promised push to ameliorate poverty. These remedies are not new and include some…

I Know My People

The hand of culture is strong with Nigeria

Buy Nigerian To “Grow” The Naira

China: Made in China

India: Make in India

Nigeria: Buy Naija to save the Naira

If you can’t spot the fundamental difference in those three campaigns, this article should help.

A ‘Simple’ Plan To Reduce Poverty In Nigeria

Let us pretend for a few minutes that our government is not planning to spend a historically huge budget, to be financed mostly by debt, largely on maintaining a dysfunctional status quo. And that a confused central bank is not pursuing a destructive…

Inequality In Nigeria: Even It Up By Slicing It Down

For the past three years, issues surrounding economic inequality have captured public policy debates- partly due to the seminal work of the French economist Thomas Piketty and his collaborators. These debates have largely been conducted…

Nigerian Cashew Farmers Are Going Nuts

If nothing else, most Nigerians agree that Nigeria needs to diversify its economy. The problem is that no one ever really explains, in practical terms, what this diversification will look like if it is achieved. The difficult and even painful route to get to…