Giving the annual McNamara lecture at Harvard Kennedy School: The attached Brookings Institution Poverty Maps show the changing face of poverty from 1973-2019 to have become more African.

In my lecture, ‘The Changing Face of Poverty: Can Africa Surprise the World,’ I argue that Africa can surprise to change the face and colour of poverty by 2050 building on and deepening past and present successes in macroeconomic management, emerging microeconomic reforms in the business environment, sectoral “employment creating transformation” in the so-called smoke stackless industries, and the deployment of technology.

This will have to be complemented by faster progress in education and skills building for a fast-growing young population, smarter management of urbanization and complementary development of human and physical infrastructure.

Blessed woman

An Icon and Gods gift to the Igbo Nation .


Greater than all the descendants of Oduduwa and Awolowo combine .

Woman of grace.

Igbo Amaka.