Nuraddeen Haruna Idris, 21, a Correspondent from Yobe State, Nigeria, writes that rice farming can boost Nigeria’s economic status by providing employment and using investment that now goes to imports. Rice farming will boost the economic status of Nigeria because agriculture is a branch of the economy that provides employment for about 30 per cent of the …

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Makerere University’s 67th graduation ceremony launched more than 10,000 new graduates, writes Badru Walusansa, 25, a Commonwealth Correspondent from Kampala in Uganda, who argues they will need networking skills as well as academic success to land jobs and careers. While the graduates from Makerere and the rest of Uganda’s public universities will celebrate their latest academic feat, …

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One reason for economic slow down is the decline of money  in the hands of consumers, writes Samasi Anderson, 20, a Correspondent from Bayelsa State in Nigeria, while at the same time money is concentrated in other hands. Money at the disposal of an investor is mobile in the global economy, he writes. When the income of …

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Retirees count on pensions for their well-being in old age, but Alabidun Sarat, 22, a Correspondent from Lagos in Nigeria, writes that mismanagement of funds or onerous bureaucracy can be a burden on the hoped-for golden years. About two months ago, a group of old people in Nigeria under the platform of Internally Displaced Pensioners …

“The ease of getting a pension raises concern” Read More »

Nigeria has been experiencing its first recession in 20 years. Jonathan Ugiagbe, a Commonwealth Correspondent alumni from Benin in Nigeria, examines the prospects for a recovery and some of the ways to achieve the turn around. An improved economy would be driven by policies aimed at boosting produçtivity, improved budgetary allocation to capital expenditure, and …

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Micro-financing is often heralded as a path out of poverty for maginalised groups, but Swapnil Mishra, 21, a Correspondent from India and currently studying in the U.S., examines the numbers and outlines the limitations that must be considered. A poor family lives on less than $2 a day, and the family seeks for financial predictability like …

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Disappointed with missed Millennium Declaration targets, Folmi Yohanna, 27, a Correspondent from Kano in Nigeria, examines whether uneven progress will be addressed through the implementation of recently-adopted Sustainable Development Goals. The MDGs came into existence in September 2000, where leaders of 189 countries gathered at the United Nations and signed the historic Millennium Declaration, in which …

“From MDGs to SDGs: What is the next step?” Read More »

Public distrust of experts coupled with the anti-intellectual bias of Trump’s leadership in the USA poses a challenge for science, writes Andrew Larkins, 27, a Correspondent from Australia. Scientists and non-profits are pushing back against the trend. More than 20 years ago, Funtowicz and Ravetz wrote that “Science always evolves, responding to its leading challenges …

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Demonstrations in Cameroon over language tensions are getting little international attention, writes Kenneth Gyamerah, 26, a Correspondent from Kumasi in Ghana, who describes how the political situation has created hardship for students and young professionals. Cameroon is a country in West Africa with more than 240 ethnic groups. This makes the country very strong and rich …

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The International Monetary Fund and World Bank have been touted as the pioneers in the field of poverty alleviation in developing countries, writes Swapnil Mishra, 21, a Commonwealth Correspondent from India currently studying in the U.S. However, he points out that some of their policies have been criticised by international development watchdogs. In Haiti’s case, the criticism arose …

“Development economics in Haiti and Ghana” Read More »