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By Efio-Ita Nyok, March 2, 2015, 7:15 am.

It has been predicted by world leading economists that the world economy will expand by 3.2% and 3.7% in 2015 and 2016 respectively.

However, in 2015, it is anticipated that emerging markets in the Asian and African continents will dominate the world market. In fact, 20 of such emerging world markets have been projected in view of 2015 including China, which is perceived to top the list, Philippines, Kenya, India, Singapore and Nigeria amongst others.

Bloomberg, a world leading finance services firm based in New York, in her more recent survey has ranked China, the Philippines, Kenya, India, Singapore and Nigeria as the world fastest economies for the year 2015. Nigeria’s economy is projected to expand by 4.9%, trailing behind China at 7%, the Philippines at 6.3%, Kenya at 6.3%, India at 5.5%, and Indonesia at 5.4%.

The implication is that Kenya will be Africa’s fastest growing economy, while Nigeria will be the continents second. However, Bloomberg observed that unemployment, weak infrastructure, corruption, poverty, security, etc are teething challenges to these two economies.

It would be recalled that in January 2015 CNN Money had projected Nigeria’s economy to be the third fastest economy globally in 2015 along with China, Qatar, Iraq, etc. It was posited that Nigeria’s economy would grow by 7.1% while China’s will grow at 7.3%.

To my mind, these economic statistics suggest very strongly that Nigeria, is making gigantic strides in the global scene. For instance in April 2014 Nigeria’s economy was review to be the largest economy in Africa with an estimated GDP of $509.9 billion (N80.3 trillion) leapfrogging South Africa’s $370.3bn (N60.7 trillion).

As it is common amongst a pessimistic citizenry, Nigerians are wont to dismiss this burgeoning statistics as mere paper work devoid of concrete expressions in the day-to-day existential realities of the average citizen. Accordingly, it should be emphasised that in the midst of institutionalised corruption and the present security challenges bedevilling this country, this perceptions would hardly change.

It was the Sophists who rightly argued that ‘man is the measure of all things’. Actually, the average Nigerian should be the measure of the veracity of these numerous claims. I do not mean to challenge the authenticity of these scientific claims, but from a perspective, they fly in the face of reality. Be that as it may, we believe very strongly that things will turn around this year as politicians will be seen to delivering on campaign promises to the electorates.

By Eyizle Ene-Okon, March 2, 2015

The Special One according to Chelsea fans was visibly thrilled to pick

up his first piece of silverware in over two years in club football.

It is also his first piece of silverware since his return to Chelsea

in 2013.

Arsenal fans won’t like this, but in just months at Chelsea, Fabregas

has equalled his trophy count at Arsenal, with just a 2005 FA Cup

medal to his name at Emirates Stadium.

Huawei announced its arrival into the smartwatch market with its new

Android Wear powered smartwatch, just weeks before Apple has planned

to.

Its circular display, made of scratch less sapphire, also features in

the Apple Watch, as the Chinese manufacturer clearly announcing its

intentions to grab a share of the torrid market, competing at the

premium end with Apple and LG’s new G Watch Urbane.

HTC took to the stage at MWC to announce probably the most awaited

smartphone of the year:The HTC One M9.

While this iteration is nothing revolutionary in terms of specs and

improvements from the M8, it is a solid flagship device featuring a

1080p Full HD display, Snapdragon 810 processor, 3 gigs of RAM, 20

MP camera, Ultrapixel front camera and the new Sense 7 skin over

Android Lollipop OS.