Oluyomi Ola-David Insights

As prospective candidates resume giving hints on their strategic plans for the 2023 Presidential race, it is apparent from the body language of the poor and media reactions of the enlightened, that authentic Nigerians are simply fed up of chips from the old block. We are all well aware of the past wins of divisive propaganda, influence peddling tactics, a false change mantra, recycling of puppets, religious appeal, bullying strategies and many more. All these may not work for 2023. The sensible Nigerian now knows the actual difference between true national transformation and an engineered 'change' message. We can now recognize those in the polity who have struggled in their pursuit of national interest and those just driven by self-interest. The Nigerian dream may not be clearly written on many walls yet, but it is clearly engraved on most of our hearts. We need a truly enabling NATIONAL environment for our enterprising spirits and ingenious minds to thrive. We need a coun

Where there is  Corruption We will need a new Breed without greed Where there is  No dream We will need new Architects without walls Where there is  Mediocrity We will need new Teachers void of ignorance Where there is  Hatred We will need a new Nation without prejudice  Where there is no  Knowledge We will need new Thinkers without masters Where there is  Injustice  We will need new Judges without bias Where there is Error We will need new Speakers without guile Where there is no Safety We will need new Soldiers without interests Where there is Collapse We will need new Engineers without fault Where there is Hunger We will need new Grainfields without boundary Where there is  No vision We will need new Leaders without myopia Where there is Time We will need new Agents without ceasing ... Photo credit: Oluyomi Ola-David

Transformational turning points are the real 'new years', every other movement along the continuum of time is just for keeping the records.  Economies, individiduals, households, firms, governments, and institutions  can experience my concept of a 'new year' at whatever point in time they decide to effect game-changing ideas, policies, and structural changes, however minuscule. Check through business cases as well as economic history and you will observe how some nations advanced in development while their counterparts stagnated or retrogressed through time. Some firms from yesteryears are now defunct because they simply refused to innovate in development strategy. So, if you, unlike me, decided to commence 2022 with a static business-as-usual mindset, then it is not your own 'new year' yet. You would have to start yours at a later time. It is my deep seated hope that you will not be caught napping, flying with worn wings that need replacement. With no structura

From birth  They struggled to feed They ate to survive Now they are resilient From home They fought countless battles They mapped out safe terrains Now they are conquerors From childhood They worked like play They played in labour Now they are industry ants From within They looked at outside fields They gleaned from anything Now they are farmers From poverty They observed the rich They chose to alter the narrative Now they are wealthy From pain They soothed the broken They cheered the weary Now they are whole From here They imagined the lofty there They thought to live Now they are featured From nothing They created so many They saw only the future Now they are impossible From shame They waited in faith They ate mockery as food Now they are game cooks From insects They took the classes They schooled in nature Now they are tutors From history They carved a path They nurtured the dream Now they are reality From weakness They manufactured strength They turned threats to opportunities Now

This week, while looking through shelves to pick out some pre-searched books in development economics and macroeconomics from a University Library, I came by a title on the role of religious organisations in African development. At that instant, I was reminded that I had once thought out the inevitable role of piety in the development of religious Africa. In order to design appropriate and effective interventions for Africa, it is necessary to study the culture and structure of the average African personality. In recent history, economic agents, who seek to take advantage of the fearful, insecure and superstitious African, have been observed to design appropriate media messages, methods, and materials that perpetrate their trade. Using fundamental brainwashing tactics, religious extremists reck a lot of havoc on the minds and perspectives of adherents. The monumental damages to human lives and infrastructure, engineered by such religious devotees can be observed throughout Africa. Furt

Nation-building is such a serious business, that charlatans, the thoughtless and imprudent cannot navigate its terrain. As a consummate and conscientious nation builder, I think Nigeria first, then all other countries next. Nigeria is the STAR nation in Africa, she leads and others follow. If I can fix Nigeria, then Africa can be transformed. Afterwards, other nations will come for lessons. Watch out, Nigeria is on the verge of an epoch-making transformation! #structuraltransformation #Nigeriafirst #nationbuilding #Africa

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