A new thought-leadership podcast, Policy Without Politics, has been launched to deepen public understanding of the policies shaping economies, businesses, markets and everyday life through non-partisan discussions on governance, development and Africa’s economic future.
Hosted by Mustafa Chike-Obi and Dr. Ken Ikpe, the weekly podcast is available on YouTube and aims to bridge the gap between policy decisions and their impact on businesses, markets and citizens across Africa.
According to the organisers, the platform is designed to provide clear, practical and evidence-based conversations on public policy, governance, regulation, investment and economic development without partisan bias.
Speaking on the vision behind the initiative, Dr. Ikpe said the podcast seeks to make policy discussions more accessible to the public.
“Policy touches every life, every business and every economy. Our goal is to make these conversations accessible, practical and useful, so that more people can understand how policy decisions translate into real outcomes,” he said.
The debut episode, titled Policy vs Implementation: Why Nigeria’s Good Ideas Keep Failing, examines whether Nigeria’s development challenges stem from weak policy formulation, poor implementation or a lack of accountability and political will.
The discussion covers issues including fuel subsidy removal, electricity pricing, health insurance, education, exchange rates, telecommunications, IMF policy advice and social safety nets.
In one of the discussions, Chike-Obi argued that sustainable economic growth depends on production rather than welfare spending.
“We are not interested in politics for its own sake. We are interested in what works, why it works, why good ideas fail, and what must change if policy is to deliver real progress,” he said.
Other episodes already produced include The Importance of an Economic Adviser in National Government, which explores the role of economic advisers in national planning and policy coordination, and Why Do African Teams Concede in the 86th Minute?, which uses football to examine sports policy, discipline, execution and the economic potential of the sports industry.
An introductory episode, Introducing PWP: Why Good Policy Fails to Change Lives, also examines the disconnect between policy formulation and its real-life impact on citizens.
The podcast brings together the experience of Chike-Obi, a former Chief Executive Officer of the Asset Management Corporation of Nigeria with decades of experience in global investment banking, and Dr. Ikpe, a development economist and former Group Chief Executive Officer of Insight Redefini Group.
The organisers said the platform is targeted at policymakers, business leaders, entrepreneurs, professionals, students and citizens seeking a deeper understanding of the policies shaping Nigeria and Africa’s development.
