Economics

When ‘Modern Slavery’ Meant Colonial Rule Nigeria and Panya (Fernando Po) in the 1960s

Enrique MartinoJune 7, 2021

The colonial history of Fernando Po in Spanish Guinea and south-eastern Nigeria makes it clear that the new techniques of ‘modern slavery’ varied from deception and entrapment of unsuspecting migrants to harshly enforced debt bondage and penal sanctions for non-fulfilment of contracts. Read more.

June/July 2021

Banks vs Bitcoin The Politics of Cryptocurrency Regulation in Nigeria

Osivue Itseumah and Mubarak AbdulfataiMay 24, 2021

In analysing the regulation of cryptocurrencies in Nigeria, the government must consider what this regulation will look like and for whom. Read more.

April/May 2021

The Excessive Debt Burdens of COVID-19 Development Financing in the Pandemic

Chimezie AnajamaMarch 31, 2021

As African governments attempt to battle the economic impacts of COVID-19, they must re-imagine development financing which will translate into efficiency in public expenditure and foresight in public investments that go hand in hand with inclusion, accountability and transparency as political norms and values. Read more.

February/March 2021Special Focus: COVID-19

Pan-Africanism in Foreign Policy African Organizations as Pan-African Agents in the ‘New Scramble’

Chinweizu OkekeMarch 8, 2021

The proliferation of economic summits and partnerships and the opportunities they bring, present an opportunity for Africa to reassert its agency, as well as redefine and reapply pan-Africanism. Read more.

February/March 2021

Why Is Tax Collection Low in Nigeria? Historical and Cultural Explanations for Nigeria’s Low Domestic Resource Mobilization

Paul JegedeDecember 14, 2020

Despite being Africa’s largest economy, Nigeria is one of the poorest. In 2017, Nigeria had one of the lowest tax-to-GDP ratios in the world. Read more.

December 20/January 21

This photo is for our essay on The Economic Impacts of Internet Shutdowns

Government Control in the Digital Age The Economic Impacts of Internet Shutdowns

Osaye AjariDecember 2, 2020

Internet shutdowns are employed by governments seeking to control the flow of information to a population, often without justifiable reason. Read more.

December 20/January 21

Two Windows COVID-19 and the World Bank’s Pandemic Emergency Financing Facility

Gbolahan BadmusNovember 23, 2020

The Ebola Crisis motivated the World Bank to launch the Pandemic Emergency Financing Facility in 2016. But how effective has the PEF been in dealing with COVID-19? Read more.

October/November 2020Special Focus: COVID-19vol5-no1

Electricity Line and Sunset at Dopemu, Lagos, Nigeria

Electrons Are Free but Not Electricity Finding the Right Price for Electricity in Nigeria

Tam AlexNovember 18, 2020

There are over 90 million Nigerians with no access to the electricity grid. Could overregulation and irregular pricing be driving this challenge? Read more.

October/November 2020

This photo is for our post on Ebola, COVID-19 and other unprofitable diseases.

Unprofitable Diseases Ebola, COVID-19 and the Return of Industrial Policy in Africa?

Francisco PerezNovember 17, 2020

Like Ebola, COVID-19 demonstrates the urgent need for domestic pharmaceutical industries in African nations. Read more.

October/November 2020Special Focus: COVID-19vol5-no1

This photo is for our essay on Southern Africa's Persistent Dilemma

Southern Africa’s Persistent Dilemma Coronavirus and the Lost Legacy of the AIDS Epidemic

Liam James KingsleyNovember 2, 2020

While SARS-CoV-2 and HIV are different pathogens, comparing the viruses themselves, as well as how southern Africa has responded to them, can help us better understand the region’s current climate and provide insight into whether coronavirus and its aftermath will spur a crisis on a scale comparable to the United States. Read more.

October/November 2020Special Focus: COVID-19vol5-no1