Reforming the Unreformable: Lessons from Nigeria (The MIT Press) Hardcover – September 21, 2012

Okonjo-Iweala writes spare, straightforward prose about an extraordinary undertaking: reduction of corruption in a country internationally famous for it. And that's just one of her challenges. She also has to stabilize an economy dependent on volatile oil prices; develop a persuasive argument for the cancellation of foreign debt; and keep her job.A great deal of the book is technocratic. There are few accounts of dramatic meetings or personal confrontations; heavy on the policy choices. However -- her biggest challenge is corruption. And corruption always has a beneficiary. Nigeria's larcenous class fought hard. Okonjo-Iweala does mention the political side: seeking support from the people of Nigeria and from the elected President. And she frankly acknowledges the role of politics in supporting or hindering reform.One of the worst problems is that previous generations of international loans went to kleptocratic rulers who simply stole much of it, leaving the current government with a very difficult debt problem and little popular support for paying off the old loans or ever borrowing any more money.The author focuses the entire book on her experiences in Nigeria. However, a great deal of the problems and solutions are universal. If your government has borrowed money that it can't pay back -- if your public payroll is bloated by decades of sweetheart deals -- if a business person can't get a loan, or can't get the permits they need, without political juice -- then you've got the same problems. May your President and your Finance Minister read this book, and may you hold them accountable for honest government.

Straight to the point and very clear eyed about her successes and failures regarding reform attempts. Also good read because its good to hear her story from her own voice instead of the infinite rumors about her tenure as finance minister

The will power and enthusiasm demonstrated by the author in reforming Nigeria economy which yielded siginificant result.

A good book, written more as an insider information of the great effort she (Dr. Ngozi) put in to make Nigeria a country she could/would be proud to call her home country, amidst chronic corruption.I want to wish her the best of luck, she will need it.

This book was a present for a male person who should learn more about the state of Nigeria being related to a Nigerian woman he met in Germany.

This is an incredibly compelling story especially for a policy book. Ngozi writes from her perspective, which gives the reader some insight into how difficult the reform process was and is.

Excellent read, detailed insight, and full of initiative. Wonderful work by Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala. All Aspiring to lead their countries should read this book.

Absolutely excellent read

The book sounds to me like propaganda from someone in the government of the day. I expected fresh ideas that would challenge the status quo, but I didn't see any. Least of all, any leaning towards doing things differently. Since the birth of Nigeria, it has been established that Nigeria is unreformable, but I am not sure there is much offering in the book that is new or revolutionary!If one is looking for a book to study the mindset of current technocrats in Nigeria, this is a good book. But for a serious attempt to find fresh and honest ideas for development in Nigeria, look somewhere else!

I think this is a highly informative book about high stakes Geopolitics in the complex country called Nigeria.

A good review of the reform process coming from an insider. It could have been much better edited thoug, it reads more like a first draft.

Very technical but a great read! Especially for us future public servants. Recommend this book to everyone with a brain!!

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