Why your bank might not pay dividends for years, by Dele Sobowale
Perhaps there is some truth in the statement that “when an old man dies, you lose a library”. At 82+ and 39 years writing on this page, I have been a media witness to four major banking upheavals – each occurring shortly after recapitalization was imposed by the Central Bank of Nigeria, CBN. Almost invariably, each […]
Finally, FG addresses fiscal policy
Godwin Emefiele, the Governor of Central Bank of Nigeria, CBN, is one official who has my total sympathy. He is the victim of economic circumstances absolutely beyond his control, yet, he is looked upon to provide solutions to problems well outside the mandate of the CBN. Unjustifiably, he had become the target of attack from all sides – manufacturers, importers, exporters, BDCs, domiciliary account holders, banks, oil companies,
Taraba enters age of aviation, tourism with Overland Airways
It is like a marriage made in Heaven which invariably produces great results. When Governor of Taraba State told me in November last year that his state capital, Jalingo, will in about three weeks, enjoy direct flight from Lagos, through Abuja, it sounded like one of those political promises “made to be broken” (apologies to Jonathan Swift, 1667-1745). Given the short period he had been in office, in one of the poorest states in the nation, and being distracted by his political adversaries, it would appear that sealing a deal with an airline to start operating a flight to Jalingo would be almost impossible.
Expected lower aggregate consumption in 2016
When Morita wrote the article from which that statement was lifted in 1992, I was a Senior Lecturer/Consultant at the Nigerian Institute of Management, NIM, and an avid reader of the Harvard Business Review. That explains why the VBQ is filled with insights from the HBR. But, in 1992, Japan was the second largest economy in the world and the second biggest manufacturer; the USA was first in both. China was nowhere in sight and the VBQ was still fifteen years away from being published. But, I had started on it.
Consequences of states reducing budgets for 2016
The most obstinate illusions are ultimately broken by facts.” Trevor Roper, in THE LAST DAYS OF HITLER. (VAGUARD BOOK OF QUOTATIONS, VBQ, p100). Roper, in one of the best books on the last days of the German leader wrote about how Hitler, deceived by his field commanders set about deploying imaginary troops in order to halt the advance of the Allied Forces into his country. It was comical and historical. It demonstrates how political leaders can turn to clowns when faced with realities which are too harsh to admit.
Banking blues in 2016
When oil companies fail to pay, bankers are in a fix. But, not just bankers; we are all in a fix. Shareholders of Nigerian banks, already waving off a bad 2015, will again have to endure two economic woes – low or no dividends and plummeting share prices. Currently, only two banks shares are above N15 per share: ECOBANK and GTB. None of the others is above N6 per share.
