Fellow Nigerians,

I am delighted to acknowledge the enthusiasm and goodwill with which you have received my book, Reforming the Unreformable: Lessons From Nigeria, which was launched today at the Congress Hall of Transcorp Hilton Hotel in Abuja.

Several comments were made in relation to the book, some of which I have highlighted below:

"The book has given us an incisive analysis for the stage and scope for the reforms needed to turn the economy around. I would like to add my own view: The country’s chances of realizing its economic objectives will come with a major reorganization of its governance strategy:

1.) Reduction in recurrent expenditure
2.) We need to arrest the destructive competition for control of power at the centre (of government) that exacerbates the primordial instincts in our people and fans the flames of ethnic differences and disunity.

NOI is Nigeria’s best advertisement to the international community. I believe this second phase of reforms which NOI is leading will lead Nigeria to greater success and give the country greater cause for hope.”

- Chief Emeka Anyaoku (Former Secretary General of The Commonwealth).


"The reason Germany is the best economy in Europe is because it was at one time the worst in Europe. Let me urge you to use past failure as the foundation for future success...Nigeria should be the best economy in Africa.

It is both an important book and an honest book...not just an analysis of Nigeria’s past, but a prism for understanding Nigeria’s future."

- Paul Collier (Professor of Economics and Director, Centre for the Study of African Economies, University of Oxford).


“This book is about how we balance short term imperatives with long term investments.”

- Pravin Gordhan (Minister of Finance, South Africa).


“This book is about celebrating our best! The most important chapter was the one about bringing the team together and setting an agenda.

We have to save for tomorrow. Without the excess crude account in 2008 when the oil price dropped, we would have been finished. If we did not obtain debt relief, I do not know where we would be as a country today.”

- Peter Obi (Anambra State Governor)


“This book fills the void of literature on the institutional changes since we returned to democracy in 1999.... Now we have a book written by one of our scholars that is candid about our failures and commends us when we have been successful.”

- Vice President Namadi Sambo, representing President Goodluck Jonathan


To underscore the ideals that I espouse in the book, I have decided that a large chunk of the proceeds from the book launch will go to the victims of the flood that ravaged parts of our country recently. The plight of flood victims reminds us that the work of improving the lives of our people is a never ending one.

Fellow citizens, a new Nigeria is possible. I believe that if we all dedicate ourselves to reform; then inch by inch, foot by foot, mile by mile, we will get there. That is the central message of my book.

You can get the book from the local bookstores.