Before moving to Nigeria for a relatively long period, I thought that testing the waters would be a good idea: would I adapt to a country so different to my own? I had many question marks: some were important issues, others were really minute. One of these minute issues was: will I find the toiletries […]
Uncategorized
Environmental, Economic, and Social Sustainability
A colleague from Kenya once told me, “In Europe you have lost touch with nature, we are more integrated with it, we see ourselves as part of it – this must make a difference in the way we approach management”. Pope Francis’s recent trip to Africa reminded me of this sentiment. Caring for the Earth – “our […]
Creating a Middle Class: The Role of Companies
A frequent comment in my interviews with executives from sub-Saharan African (SSA) companies has been, “What really drives this company is job creation… of course, we want to make money, and we do make money… but our real driver is to create employment.” I mentioned this in a previous post. But I want to bring […]
Western Retailers Entering sub-Saharan African Markets
I love hanging around markets – although I try not to buy randomly: I always go with my shopping list. When you are in a new country, this is a great way to get a flavor for what life is like for local people. In Kenya, you get a variety of flavors from dusty farmers’ […]
The strength of Nigeria is its people
I once heard a Nigerian saying proudly that the strength of Nigeria is its people. That statement stuck in my mind: in fact, its 170 million (or so) people makes Nigeria the most populous African country – but what did he mean exactly? A number of things come to mind: the most immediate and obvious, […]
