You Might Want to Pay $180 For A One Year The Economist Digital Subscription, Like Me

Yesterday, I finally made up my mind and paid for a one year digital subscription to The Economist. And I will explain why you too might want to make a similar decision. But first, I have got a shout-out to make.

image: sfgyc.com

I want to send a shout-out to the happiest and loveliest couple in Lagos, Kay and Ebun. I was their guest yesterday evening and had a wonderful time. And for the first time in my life, I thought it's not so bad to have close friends reading your blog. The truth is when I started this blog in 2009, the only reason I posted any personal stuff was because I was very sure my mum and dad would not come across this blog. And after a while, I became sure even my extended family and close friends wouldn't know this blog existed. So I let my guard down and wrote whatever came to my mind. I was writing for a distant audience whose faces and persons were a product of my imagination. It made my online life a bliss. Anyone that said something bad about me or what I posted, I gave an ugly face and a mean personality. And anyone that was very nice to me or said something nice about my post, I gave a very beautiful face and a good personality. It was a perfect world. Until recently. I can't count the number of people who have asked for my blog address but I can count the number of people I ran out of excuse to not give the blog address (very very few), I don't share my blog posts on Facebook or BBM where I have family and close friends. But thanks to google, I now have close friends following my blog. And yesterday, after hearing the amazingly good comments by Kay and Ebun, I became sure I could live with friends and family knowing my blog. I will probably send the ones who have asked me for the blog address, the blog address.

So why would you want to subscribe for The Economist?

1. At the price of about N600/week you get the best intellectual analysis of happenings in the world. I was an addict of BBC World Service Radio throughout my university days. My favourite programs were BBC Newshour, Discovery, World Have Your Say, Outlook, Focus On Africa, BBC World Business Report and Story Story (Voices from the market). I even got to participate in one of the Africa Have Your Say programmes, I was on hold and waiting for when it would be my turn to talk and then MTN signal failed me. I ended up knowing a lot about other countries, businesses and global perspectives. I could talk intelligently on current global happenings. I would listen from morning to midnight on Saturdays that I stayed indoors. Then after university I couldn't continue, so I tried reading The Economist. Since 2011 I have been reading, occasionally, the free parts of the The Economist digital copies. Then in 2012 and 2013 I did a lot of college Finance and Economics course work, I learned the basics of Finance, Micro Economics, Macro Economics and International Economics. And everything I read on The Economist began to make more sense. I could agree or disagree with what I read because I now have the knowledge of bedrock theories. And I could figure out the investment significance of every major national or international event. So I decided to make a good habit of understanding the world better -- past and present -- and from an economist standpoint. And it's the main reason I subscribed to The Economist. If you don't just want to feed on motivational news of people who rose from grass to grace, from vagueness to vanity; but want to gain tangible knowledge that can transform your life then switch from Forbes Africa to The Economist.
2. It's cheaper than buying Punch newspaper everyday or just weekdays. Punch newspaper, besides the valuable ads it sometimes carries, will only tell you what you already know and what other people think of what you already know. You can read it daily for years without any boost to your IQ, but will greatly improve your EQ. Luckily, I have just as much EQ as I'm content with. What I desire to improve is my IQ and business acumen. And The Economist is the only magazine that can do that for me (and you) weekly at less than the price of 5 Punch newspapers.
3. For a Nigerian like me, The Economist is more like the only choice. Wall Street Journal is written with Americans primarily in mind. Financial Times is almost thrice as expensive and not as international as The Economist. 
4. Finally, it's a long term investment. I plan to read every issue of The Economist for the rest of my life (or it's life). In 5 years time, I should be so knowledgeable that I can expand my business outside Nigeria and Africa.

And in case you are wondering why the free advert for The Economist. I don't mind getting paid for the advert, if you can get me who to contact for that. And beyond that, it's my sincere opinion.