Last week, we at IESE Business School celebrated our 2016 Global Alumni Reunion – GAR, as we call it. I had the honor to serve as Academic Director together with my colleague Professor Núria Mas. It was such a pleasure to welcome 2,500 or so of our 45,000 alumni from all over the world! The […]
Facebook, Google and Connectivity in Africa
Before I visited his country, a colleague from Nigeria described to me how an up-and-coming Nigerian youth shared the same interests as youngsters in developed countries: they want to have i-pads, use social networks, and so on – as everybody else. Yes, I’m aware that this is just one part of the Nigerian society. Not […]
Is There Hope for Nigeria’s Growth Story?
A couple of years ago Nigerians were in celebration mood: Nigeria had been declared the largest economy in the continent, surpassing South Africa. They love being ahead of South Africa even if in soccer competitions – you can imagine when it comes to economic strength! However, Nigeria’s growth has slowed down. Is there still hope […]
Africa rising: no question!
Early this year, I wrote a post titled “‘Africa Rising’ – Under question?” The report McKinsey released last month “Lions on the move II: Realizing the potential of Africa’s economies” has brought the discussion back to the forefront: Africa is rising – no question about it. But Africa is not one country, one economy, one […]
Technology and Financial Inclusion
A former student used to work for a microfinance institution in Kenya. He quitted: he wasn’t comfortable with the high rates and fee charges of traditional microfinance loans (37 % average). Meant to promote financial inclusion, these loans may end up making borrowers poorer than they were. At the same time, the super-high interest rates […]
