ACFTA is now signed. What next?
MARTIN Ike-Muonso
July 29, 2019
After months of delay, the president finally signed the Africa Continental Free Trade Agreement. That puts paid to the many arguments and counter-arguments on the suitability of Nigeria’s membership of the trading bloc. Regardless of the merits of protectionists arguments for import substitution, the protection of domestic industries, protecting our country against use as a […]
How far are we from war?
MARTIN Ike-MuonsoJuly 22, 2019
Many Nigerians agree that the level of insecurity in the country compares with what typically obtains in a war situation. And war is an inclement bed for prosperity to rest. Similar to war circumstances, many Nigerians have lost the freedom to move undisturbed from one location to another. News of the dead, maimed, persons taken […]
Forsaking prosperity: the tragedy of abandoned public sector projects
MARTIN Ike-MuonsoJuly 15, 2019
A famous Igbo proverb aptly states that no one gets wealthy by throwing the things of value he or she previously acquired away. It goes to prove how vital cumulative acquisition is on the journey to prosperity. This principle is always naturally in the application, whether it is in the case of an individual, organisation […]
An educational system that does not deliver prosperity
Martin Ike-MuonsoJuly 8, 2019
By Martin Ike-Muonso Education is highly reputed to deliver prosperity. That appears to be the number one reason why most people acquire it. Whether it is received formally or otherwise, education broadens a person’s view and understanding of life, of the environment where he belongs to, history and principles that underlie many of the […]
Societal values for the banishment of poverty in Nigeria: lessons from Singapore
Prof Martin Ike-Muonso N.June 27, 2019
By Prof Martin Ike-Muonso N. Societal values, personal experiences, and ambitions broadly underscore and give sense to the entrepreneurial actions of economic agents. In broad terms, society teaches norms and values that will lead to harmonious coexistence among its members. It imparts members with the knowledge and structure for living in peace, without injustice […]
100 million Nigerians out of poverty by 2029
Martin Ike-MuonsoJune 24, 2019
The Brookings institution appears to have successfully woken up the president, Muhammad Buhari from his deep slumber. The institution had earlier predicted that by 2030, Nigeria would have the highest number of poor people. In numerical terms, approximately one hundred and twenty Nigerians are predicted to fall into the poverty line eleven years from now. […]
How our banks lead manufacturers to the slaughter slab
Martin Ike-MuonsoJune 17, 2019
By Martin Ike-Muonso Official statistics from the Manufacturers Association of Nigeria, the Central bank of Nigeria, small and medium enterprises agency of Nigeria and a host of other reliable sources have shown that no fewer than four hundred medium scale – mostly manufacturing – companies die each year. Again, based on the dependency ratio […]
Beyond the rhetoric in addressing youth violence
Martin Ike-MuonsoJune 10, 2019
By Martin Ike-Muonso The enormity of the youth problem in Africa has ostensibly attracted a large number of supposed solution providers. For instance, non-governmental organisations that theoretically focus on the youth problem are by far more than the number focusing on other thematic areas. Notwithstanding the scale of engagement of NGOs and governments in […]
What can we learn from Nnewi’s prosperity?
Martin Ike-MuonsoJune 3, 2019
By Martin Ike-Muonso The scale of intense commercial activity in Nnewi – a community comprising three local government areas – in Anambra State point to the apparent prosperity per capita of its citizens. The town is a mini version of Lagos and riddled with bubbling enterprises. Virtually every person is either buying or selling […]
The ‘our abundant natural resources’ myth
Martin Ike-MuonsoMay 27, 2019
By Martin Ike-Muonso It is usually a thing of pride when we boast about our abundant natural resources, our youthful population and vast markets. These vaunts are some unsung reference to the size of the theoretical factors of production consisting of raw materials, capital and labour that are available to us. All things being […]