Despite the global financial volatility and a dramatic fall in the value of bank shares on the stock market, the industry in Nigeria has proved very resilient and is fully expected to ride out the storm. The watchword now, argues Moin Siddiqi, is consolidation, rather than expansion. More...

Since 1975, capital flight has cost sub-Saharan Africa an estimated $600bn. While corrupt African regimes come under the spotlight, the real theft is carried out in subtle ways that leave no one any the wiser; instead, the perpetrators are often raised to the pinnacle of respectability and accorded high ethical values. Khadija Sharife punctures some myths in this cover story. More...

Africa will have to bite the bullet and try its best to survive the shortages of liquidity and reduced inflow of external funds while the global economic crisis lasts, but Razia Khan, Standard Chartered Bank’s chief economist for sub-Saharan Africa, tells Stephen Williams that now may be the time to rethink future economic strategies. More...