Nigeria’s economic outlook in 2015

By Ayo Teriba, Managing Director, Economic Associates

The year 2015 is likely to be a year of contrasts in which a difficult and uncertain start will most probably give way to a promising end, as renewed post-election economic reform efforts to address fiscal, structural, and financial challenges highlighted by low oil price and weak capital inflows on the eve of election will open up new growth and investment opportunities, thereby brightening the outlook.

Thus, while the twin external shocks on the eve of general elections had imposed short-term challenges and created significant uncertainties about the economic outlook in 2015, they have also beneficially elevated the place of economic and fiscal reforms in the pre-election conversation. A strong consensus for reforms has fortuitously been built among the populace that it makes sense to expect a high pace of reforms after the election. This will brighten the outlook for the second half of 2015 and beyond.

For The Undecided Voter: Determining the Lesser Of the Two Evils

by Ugochukwu Onuoha

There are 14 candidates vying for the post of president at Febuary 14th polls. On the surface it seems the electorates are spoilt for choice on who to elect as President, but upon critical analysis - separating the pretenders from the contenders - we are left with only two real options: PDP's incumbent President Goodluck Ebele Jonathan and the APC's candidate Major-General Mohammadu Buhari.

Politics, corruption, oil price top business leaders’ worries in ‘15

INTERGENERATIONAL WEALTH MOBILITY IN ENGLAND, 1858-2012: New evidence based on rare surnames

Source: Summaries of six research reports in this month's issue of the Economic Journal (EJ)

Descendants of the wealthy people of England in 1850 are still wealthy. They also have longer life spans than the average person; they are much more likely to attend Oxford or Cambridge; they still live in more expensive neighbourhoods; and they are more likely to be doctors or lawyers.

The Americans are coming, the Americans are here

For the first time in 22 years, an American Secretary of Commerce visited Nigeria in 2014. The primary aim of the visit was to foster a stronger, more strategic trade and investment relationship. But America’s involvement in Nigeria spans several fruitful decades.

The country has been involved in Nigeria though, the aid it provides, foreign direct investment (FDI) by its privately owned corporations, and military co-operation. And FDI by American corporations has had the biggest impact on the way Nigerians live.