Straight Talk with Chukwudi Obi

SOCIETY:  In the last 16 years of PDP led government, corruption in Nigeria rather than abate has soared. A survey of Nigeria’s ratings on Transparency International’s Corruption Perception Index, CPI, indicates that Nigeria has never been among the top 20 countries where business can be done in a clean and efficient manner in both government private sectors. Rather it has maintained its position among the top 60 most corrupt nations in the world in the last 16 years.  In 1997, Nigeria ranked 52 out of the 52 countries sampled in that year’s Corruption Perception Index with an all time low of 1.76 on a scale of 1 (highly corrupt) to 10 (highly clean). In 1999, under the PDP - led Olusegun Obasanjo government, the country was ranked 98th out of 99 countries sampled. Cameroun was ranked lowest. Nigeria had an average Corruption Perception Index of 1.6 on a scale of 10. Obasanjo’s response to this report at that time remains fresh in the memories of many. http...

With the telecoms sector worth $32 billion and among the top ten fastest emerging markets in Middle East and Africa (MEA), CHUKWUDI OBI asks who needs a local content policy when there is much at stake. Local content policies are designed to encourage local companies, give them undue advantage over foreign companies and drive more local investment in that particular sector. To a large extent the local content policy as implemented in the oil and gas sector many experts say, has been successful to the extent of stimulating the industry, encouraging active local participation and encourage competition. But Federal Government’s Transformation Agenda has been hinged on increasing foreign direct investment and since inception of this administration, President Goodluck Jonathan and his lieutenants have not hidden their ambition to increase investments in the country. This, they have been pursuing vigorously, with some measure of success. It has paid off with Agriculture attr...