The Knowledge to Decide

Nigeria’s economy was worth over USD400 billion in 2013 – ahead of South Africa’s GDP of USD355 billion . Nigeria is becoming Africa’s largest oil exporter. But amidst the opportunities, challenges remain – chiefly political instability, theft of natural resources and lack of infrastructure. Will Nigeria’s emergence as the latest frontier market be a smooth one? A growing economy Now being referred as one of the MINT frontier economies in the world (Mexico, Indonesia, Nigeria and Turkey), Nigeria is expected to emerge as an economic powerhouse of the future . It has a good track record over the past ten years, with 7.4% real GDP growth in 2013, up from 6.7% in 2012. Nigeria is Africa’s most populous country and the ninth most populous in the world. Nigeria is Africa’s most populous country and the ninth most populous in the world, with 173.6 million people in 2013. According to recent UN projections, Nigeria will become one of the most populous countries in the world

China emits about a third of global greenhouse gases. It is also home to 16 of the most polluted cities in the world. China’s Gross Domestic Product (GDP) growth dropped from 7.7% in 2013 to 7.4% in 2014. Will China fulfill its quest for clean air and sustain its economy? Leon Perera, Chief Executive Officer of Spire Research and Consulting, shared his insights in China Daily – Asia Weekly. It is not hard to see why China is so keen to implement counter measures to deal with air pollution. Only 8 out of 74 major cities in 2014 met the prescribed health air quality criteria. Moreover, 20 million cars were sold in 2013 – making China the world’s largest car market and adding to its toxic emission woes. Perera noted that the causes of pollution include rapid urbanization and industrialization. Furthermore, the nation burns coal on a large scale – an average of 2 million tons is consumed yearly to meet growing energy demand. The government’s five-year action plan will monitor

One out of every three manufacturing jobs in Australia is in the food and grocery sector, which directly employs around 300,000 people. The food and beverage market in Australia is climbing greater heights, buoyed by a growing population with an appetite for good food. Jeffrey Bahar, Deputy Chief Executive Office of Spire Research and Consulting, highlighted the key opportunities in this sector during his presentation at the Sydney Franchise and Business Expo in August 2015. As the population of Australia is set to reach 23.5 million in 2014, the food and beverage industry looks upbeat. A major portion of the population is present in the cities, like Sydney, Melbourne, Brisbane and Perth. The weekly average household spending per person on restaurant meals in these cities is AUD32 –a ripe market opportunity. Bahar opined that food industry growth is directly proportional to the number of food outlets. With 58,602 commercial outlets and 15,954 institutionalized outlets recorde

As ASEAN trade grows rapidly, so does its economic clout – the combined Gross Domestic Product (GDP) of the region is set to reach USD3 trillion by 2024, making it among the top ten economies in the world were it a single country. What key trends will emerge as ASEAN trade forges ahead? Leon Perera, Chief Executive Officer, of Spire Research and Consulting shared his insights in China Daily – Asia Weekly. The share of intra-ASEAN trade out of the region’s total trade has grown to over 27% in 2014 from 17% in 1990. The ASEAN region continues to be an export-oriented global manufacturing and services hub for thousands of multinationals. Economic growth has led to the rise of the upper and middle classes and an increase in the consumption of luxury goods. Perera noted that Southeast Asia still imports aircraft and industrial equipment from Europe and the U.S. Moreover, toys and consumer electronics continue to be heavily imported from China. So there is no question of ASEAN beco

Nepal – one of the poorest countries in the world – had a rude awakening when a 7.8 magnitude earthquake struck on 25 April 2015. The impact was tragic. Casualties continue to rise, with immense damage to infrastructure. Will the nation be able to pick up the shattered pieces of its economy? Leon Perera, Chief Executive Officer of Spire Research and Consulting shared his insights in China Daily – Asia Weekly. With the estimated cost of rehabilitation set to hit USD5 billion – a quarter of the nation’s Gross Domestic Product (GDP) of USD20 billion in 2014 – the economic impact of the earthquake is massive. According to United Nation’s data, 8 million people are directly in the line of fire. Both agriculture – with well over 70% of the population employed in this sector – and tourism have been badly afflicted. Perera opined that the disaster will also impact the nation’s ability to grow and transport fresh food – the agricultural sector alone accounts for 38% of GDP. Moreover,