Pat Utomi, professor of political economy and management in this interview with Charles Okonji offers a gloomy prognosis about the state of Nigeria’s economy. Excerpts: What is your projection for 2020? I will tell emphatically that 2020 would be a very challenging year for Nigeria when you look at the terrible economic performance of the country in the recent years. Unfortunately, most of them are self-inflicted. We keep focusing on such basic macro issues whereas the real problem with the Nigerian economy is fundamental, structural, basic institutional and cultural base. I keep reminding people that the problem of the Nigerian…

To Mafoluku in the hinterland of Oshodi where the indefatigable Baba Lekki, with Okon ably assisting, is fielding questions on the state of the nation from journalists in a ramshackle and abandoned plaza belonging to an old politician. This is one area of contention where the crazy boy will never be able to match Baba Lekki’s fiery anti-establishment intellect and cerebral wit. In Shakespearean drama, an assistant clown is known as a fool’s zany and Okon was on his zaniest form this gloomy and mournful afternoon. Nigerians are a hard dying lot. Nothing, and absolutely nothing, can get them down…