Friday, June 08, 2018 08:45 AM / FDC
The belated recognition of June 12 as Democracy day and the post-humorous award of the GCFR on Moshood Abiola, has left political opponents in consternation and allies surprised.
This sudden twist of events which has split the ranks of former dictators into born-again democrats and the others. This confirms the views that politics is now the dominant whilst economics is the recessive chromosome, as we head towards the 2019 election.
Notwithstanding, we must recognize the positive trends of some leading economic indicators, which include higher crude oil revenue at $9bn in Q1, a 21% surge in the external trade balance, the 15-month consecutive decline in headline inflation and the recent recovery of the naira back to N362/$ in the forex market after a speculative attack on the currency.
On the negative side, we have seen a cumulative crash of 17.17% in the PMI in 2 months and a sharp fall in the stock market (14% from Feb to May-end) before its recent gains (6.05%). The data analytics of Q1 GDP, and the curious failure to release the unemployment numbers on June 5th as scheduled, is raising eyebrows.
This means that the economy is oblivious to the political manoeuvring of incumbents and opponents alike.
In this edition of the LBS Breakfast Club Session, Bismarck Rewane and the FDC Think Tank discuss these and other macro-economic & policy issues and its impact on your business.
Related News
1. Make Hay In May, While The Sun Still Shines – LBS EBS – May 2018
2. Talking Economics and Thinking Politics – LBS EBS – April 2018
3. At $65, Oil is Up 22.4% in 12 Months, Can It Fall Again?? – LBS EBS – March 2018
4. 2019 - The Changing Political Calculus – LBS EBS – February 2018
5. The FDC 2018 Periscope – The Good, The Bad and The Annoying
6. There is More to Economic Growth Than Numbers - LBS EBS – December 2017
7. The More Things Change The More They Stay The Same - LBS EBS – November 2017
8. Basking in the Afterglow of Reform - LBS EBS – October 2017
9. Buhari Returns: Hope High and Challenges Daunting - LBS EBS - September 2017
10. Nigerian’s Domestic Debt: A Ticking Time Bomb - LBS EBS – August 2017
11. Nigeria: Is The Recovery For Real? - LBS EBS – July 2017
12. Nigeria: Recovery Slow, Steady but Painful – LBS-EBS June 2017
13. Nigerians May Escape from Anxiety with a Stronger Naira - LBS EBS - May 2017
14. Naira Gains as the CBN Tries to Catch a Falling Knife - LBS EBS - April 2017
15. Economic Reform by Coincidence - Does It Really Matter? - LBS EBS – March 2017
16. Nigeria's Economic Reform - Resist Now and Regret Later - LBS EBS - Feb 2017
17. 2017: A Year of Fear Laced with Hope
18. Running Faster to Stand Still – LBS EBS – Dec 2016
19. Recovery Fades, Strong Regulator versus Efficient Markets – LBS EBS Nov 2016
20. Nigeria Oil Shock 2.0 and the Treacherous Path to Recovery – LBS EBS Oct’16
21. Recession: how deep and for how long? – LBS EBS Sep’16
22. Policy Daunting, Markets Uncertain, Citizens Groan – LBS EBS – Aug 2016
23. With Inflation at 16.5%,Nigeria Stumbles into the Reform Path-LBS EBS Jul 2016
24. Sell in May and Go Away - LBS EBS - May 2016
25. The Squandering of a Golden Economic Opportunity – LBS EBS Apr 2016
26. Naira Weakness Undermines Economic Stability – LBS EBS – March 2016
27. 2016: The Year of Stark Economic Reality – LBS EBS – Feb 2016
28. 2016 - A Year of Growth and Commodity Turmoil – LBS EBS – Dec 2015
29. Fantasy economics & the value of the Naira – LBS EBS – Nov 2015
30. All the Presidents’ Men - Dream team or Lightweights – LBS EBS – Oct 2015
31. Loot Recovery? Restitution is no Retribution - LBS EBS – Sep 2015
32. Nigeria goes back to the Future : Market vs. Control Economy - LBS EBS - Aug 2015
33. Buhari: Slow Start or Guessing Game – LBS EBS – July 2015
34. Reflating a Strangulating Economy – LBS EBS – Jun 2015
35. Leadership Change is not a System Change – LBS EBS April 2015
36. Is the Naira Ever Going to Recover? – LBS EBS – March 2015
37. Nigeria at Crossroads- Stability or Change, Which do You Prefer? -LBS EBS – Feb 2015
38. The Falling Naira: Are you Prepared? - LBS EBS- Jan 2015
39. Octobers can be eventful - LBS EBS – Nov 2014
40. Inflation Up, Stock Market Down, What Next? - LBS EBS Sep 2014