Today’s Irish Times covers an interview given to a business research publication on Nigeria and what Bertie Ahern thinks must be done to improve the economy and how they can learn from Ireland’s woes.  (h/t to Mark Coughlan who brought the interview to my attention on Tuesday! )

Amongst other issues he mentions Public Private Partnerships, like they worked so well ov

er here eh?

Ahern pointed out that ensuring banks were regulated and operated in line with best international standards could prove to be another key factor in capturing the interest of foreign investors.

While he was keen to highlight the policies that paved the way for Ireland’s transformation two decades ago, Ahern also acknowledged that Nigeria could learn lessons from the Republic’s current economic woes, most notably the importance of spreading risk by growing the economy across the sectors.

“As can be seen from the current precarious state of Ireland’s financial sector, the importance of economic diversity is huge,” he said. “Overexposure to any sector should not be taken lightly, as was seen when construction in Ireland accounted for over 15% of GDP at the height of the boom.”

Lovely photo of Bertie and the journalist who interviewed him!  Note the drinks cabinet!

No sign of an  actual Bertie earner trip anywhere recently but if you spot our Iar Iar Taoiseach – the Honourable Mr. Ahern anywhere out foreign giving one of his speeches let us know!  Bertie of course hans form in Nigeria as regular readers may remember

He’s still listed as a speaker with the Washington Speakers Bureau and still giving the same speeches for $40k plus expsenses! I wonder how much he charges for giving interviews to business consultants or is this part of a pitch for him and his ‘expertise’ to be invited back to Nigeria?