What is a niche product? It is a good or service with features that appeal to a particular market subgroup. A typical niche product can be easily distinguished from other products, and it will also be produced and sold for specialized uses within its corresponding niche market. It sounds great…so why is that an issue…

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…

In the United States, a President can only serve for two, 4 year terms so whatever happens in November, Barak Obama will finish his second term and his presidency will become the subject of historians. As the U.S. presidential election approaches its frenetic sprint to November, Obama has become somewhat reflective and is increasingly speaking…

Caught in the midst of traffic at Lagos after attending a discussion about the electricity challenges in Nigeria, I told my driver about how smart cities would improve people’s lives. He gave me a skeptical look, which I interpreted as “will I ever see this come true…?” I read recently an article about strategies for…