Privately owned Nigerian banks hold 94% of Nigerian banking assets. Only one other country in the world – Israel – has a higher share of ownership by local banks. The share of banking assets is the most reliable way to measure market power and competitive position. Some of the world’s largest banks are active in […]
Owning your own business can make it harder to get hired later
If you’ve been thinking about starting your own business lately, you’re not alone. Americans began launching ventures in record numbers during the pandemic, with an above-trend pace continuing through 2023. Unfortunately, many of of these enterprises won’t last long: 30% of new businesses fail within two years, and half don’t last past five, according to […]
Africa’s ports race is hyped as ‘development’ but also creates pathways for plunder
Ports have long been integral to Africa’s connectivity with the rest of the world. Yet over the last 15 years, a new stage in maritime infrastructure planning and development has begun. Between 2004 and 2019, over US$50 billion was spent on this infrastructure – roughly 13 times more than was spent between 1990 and 2004. […]