Why Terra Industries Had to Go to Silicon Valley, By Olumide Awoyemi

When Terra Industries, a Nigerian defence technology startup, recently announced an $11.75 million funding round led by Silicon Valley venture firm 8VC, many celebrated it as a triumph of Nigerian innovation. Co-founded by 22-year-old Nathan Nwachuku and 26-year-old Maxwell Maduka, Terra is currently protecting assets valued at approximately $11 billion across Nigeria—hydropower plants, mines, and…

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The Paper Paradox: Breaking the “Regime” of Stagnation in Nigerian Pharma Manufacturing, By Olumide Awoyemi

In the bustling industrial estates of Ikeja, Agbara, and Ota, a quiet crisis is unfolding. It is not a crisis of capability; Nigerian pharmaceutical manufacturers are among the most resilient and resourceful in the world. It is not a crisis of demand—with a population of over 200 million, the market for essential medicines is vast…

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 The Innovation Deficit: Why Nigeria’s Traditional Industries Remain Frozen in Time, By Olumide Awoyemi

The 2025 Nobel Prize in Economics has been awarded to Joel Mokyr, Philippe Aghion, and Peter Howitt for explaining how innovation drives sustained economic growth. Their research reveals a profound truth: for the first time in human history, the last two centuries have witnessed continuous economic growth that has lifted vast numbers out of poverty….

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