Oluyomi Ola-David Insights

Against the background of the recently adopted Sustainable Development Goals, it is evident that there is a global will to make a success of the development process across countries. However, individual countries need a will to prepare for sustainable development. This speaks to the inevitable role of national development planning in the development process. While embracing market liberalization strategies and other popular policy propositions of international financial institutions, for instance, governments must keep in mind that the market does not have all the answers. Particularly so in developing countries of Africa where living standards are low, institutional frameworks are weak, income inequality is high and in-country spatial inequality is widespread. Zambia is one African country among several which has experienced woes associated with a blind adoption of ‘Invisible Hand’ policy options. Its fourth development plan was aborted at a point when it felt the time was

Beginning today Friday 25 th through Sunday 27 th September 2015, Heads of State and Government and High representatives will meet at the 70 th session of the United Nations General Assembly in New York to ratify the blue print of the post-2015 Development Agenda – Sustainable Development Goals. The 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development focuses on transforming the world with a focus on 5 Ps – People, Planet, Prosperity, Peace and Partnership. The blueprint is indeed a product of conscientious consultations involving various stakeholders deliberating and debating various thematic and sub-thematic issues. The Task Force improved on the consultative processes that birthed the MDGs. Consequently, the SDGs are a product of wider and more inclusive consultations on elements essential to creating the World We Want by 2030. Also, in many ways the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development seeks to build on the Millennium Development Goals and complete what it could no

By the 2014 rebasing of its GDP, Nigeria became Africa’s largest economy trumping its long time contender, South Africa. Amongst several things, the significant growth implies changes in the sectoral contribution of domestic output and employment. Conventionally, for a developing country context it is expected that international trade, foreign direct investment, industrial policy and global price fluctuations would have contributed to the shifts in the distribution of factors of production and final output. Given the uninclusive nature of the impressive surge in output, it is important to investigate what sectors accounted for the structural change. Using historical data on the Nigerian economy, Oyebanke and I examined (in a forthcoming paper) the contribution of foreign direct investment to structural transformation. Specifically, in the paper we provided answers to the following questions: What are the sources, nature and characteristics of the structural change

At first, when I was contacted to be a panelist at AAI’s State of Education in Africa Conference I was very hesitant. However, I accepted the offer after wide consultations, also because you could not convene a conference on the State of Education in Africa without a special reference to Covenant University – a leading Christian Mission University in Africa’s biggest economy. The Conference attracted other thought leaders and visionaries including Professor Pat Utomi, Ndidi Nwuneli, Professor Dorayi Aminu, Devang Vussonji, Professor Julie Ibiam, Iyinoluwa Aboyeji of Andela amongst others. Panel discussions addressed issues on: ‘Teacher Training’, ‘Reforming Science and Technology Education in Africa’, ‘Spotlight on Vocational and Technical Training and Higher Education’, ‘Early Childhood Education’ and ‘Global Best Practices in Education’.  I participated in the panel on ‘Teacher Training: Equipping new educators with the tools they need for success’, which was moder