By Atedo N A Peterside, President/Founder of ANAP Foundation, Chairman of Stanbic IBTC Bank PLC and Chairman of Cadbury Nigeria PLC.

Notwithstanding his deft management of the constitutional crisis that erupted following the incapacitation of his predecessor, the jury was still out on President Goodluck Ebele Jonathan (GEJ) after he became President following the death of Umaru Yar’ Adua in May 2010.

What a difference a year makes; a landslide victory at the Party Primary of the ruling People’s Democratic Party (PDP) was followed by credible general elections and an emphatic personal triumph in the Presidential elections. It is clear now that there is more to GEJ than good luck. This time, he is the architect of his own destiny. Continue reading »

Nigeria is on the verge of takeoff. So said Jeffrey Sachs, the development economist and advisor to the UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon after a visit this week that coincided with the swearing in of President Goodluck Jonathan.

Sachs is not alone. Many foreign investors eyeing African growth see the continent’s most populous nation, with its market of over 150m people, its oil and gas supplies, human resources and vast unmet demand for goods and services as the greatest opportunity. Continue reading »