Author: Gift Ifeanyi

On March 6, 2025, the United Kingdom, in collaboration with the Centre for Strategy and Evaluation Services (CSES), initiated a transformative research project titled “Regulatory Reform for Businesses and Consumers in ASEAN Countries – Understanding Potential Impacts on Gender Equality and Micro, Small & Medium Enterprises.” This comprehensive study, launched under the Regulatory Reform pillar of the ASEAN-UK Economic Integration Programme, aims to delve deeply into the myriad challenges faced by businesses across the ASEAN region while identifying actionable opportunities for fostering inclusive policymaking. It particularly seeks to illuminate how regulatory reforms can effectively bolster the position of women entrepreneurs…

Nigeria’s economic policies are producing positive outcomes, with the country achieving a trade surplus of $16 billion, rising foreign reserves, and increased investor confidence, according to the Presidency. In a recent interview, Sunday Dare, the Special Adviser to the President on Media and Public Communications, attributed this economic boost to the bold policy decisions made by President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s administration. These decisions have stabilized the financial sector, improved regulatory transparency, and enhanced Nigeria’s appeal as an investment destination. “President Tinubu has taken decisive steps to stabilize the naira, curb inflation, and boost production. As a result, global investors are…

With inflation easing to 24.5% in January, rising foreign direct investment (FDI) inflows, and an expanding gross domestic product (GDP), Nigeria’s economy is recovering faster than many analysts anticipated. Meanwhile, the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN)-led Monetary Policy Committee’s decision to maintain interest rates at its last meeting has fueled a rally in Nigeria’s Eurobond market, reinforcing foreign investors’ confidence in the domestic economy. Undoubtedly, the Nigerian economy has the potential to attract and sustain foreign investors’ interest.   Several macroeconomic indicators are improving, and the expanded GDP size is drawing savvy investors back to the country. Investment reports show that…

Rising cocoa prices are generating increased interest in positioning Nigeria as a significant player in the cocoa industry, with aspirations to compete with leading producers Ivory Coast and Ghana, where crops have suffered due to climate change and disease. Nigeria has faced challenges in diversifying its oil-dependent economy, but the surge in global cocoa prices, which reached a record $12,000 per ton in December, has drawn renewed attention to cocoa bean production. “The farmers have never had it so good,” stated Patrick Adebola, executive director at the Cocoa Research Institute of Nigeria, in an interview with Agence France-Presse (AFP). This…