Black MBA Association Debuts Monthly Economic Review for Africa

The Smith School's Black MBA Association debuted a new resource - the Africa Economic Review - in May 2007. Okon Enyenihi, MBA candidate 2008 and the editor of AER, grew up in Africa, spent time in Europe and has lived in the U.S. for about four years. "In that span of time I have observed how often Africa is left out in various related discussions," says Enyenihi. "Most news on Africa often too easily bring to mind images of destitute beggars on the street, a community on the throes of an epidemic and hungry children starving on the sand. These scenes are of course real, but the grimmest picture of Africa is not the most accurate. It often draws attention away from the arduous achievements of a majority of African people that have triumphed over every imaginable obstacle with the hope for a better future that affords a decent living standard. It also discourages the continued support of the more privileged countries," adds Enyenihi.

"A truer image that depicts the painstaking effort and achievements of these honorable African strategist, often held to suffocation by their leader's corrupt practices, is what we intend to publicize to the Smith community," says Enyenihi.

The inspiration for AER came from discussions and presentations given during the spring semester's "Africa Forum," an annual signature event of the Black MBA Association. "It was obvious that a lot of people are still not familiar with Africa, do not even know that African countries have market index and stock exchanges," says Enyeihi. "We hope that our publication will keep people informed and generate discussions that will bring about solutions to the regulatory shortfall of African exchanges and the liquidity problems of the African capital markets."

» Download the first issue of the BMBAA's Africa Economic Review, May 2007 (PDF)

» The Smith Asia Business Review (SABR) published by the MBA Finance Association is also available online.

▓ Alissa Arford-Leyl, Office of Marketing Communications