Flywheel Economics Podcast

Mexico built millions of homes and expanded access to mortgage finance. Yet many families remained unable to find affordable, well-connected housing, while some new developments experienced vacancy and abandonment. How did a policy designed to increase homeownership produce such contradictory outcomes? In this episode, Richard Ough and Favour Ogbadu speak with housing policy scholar Dr Alejandra R...

Developing countries are being asked to finance climate adaptation, resilience, infrastructure and low-carbon development while still tackling poverty, jobs, health and education. But accessing the finance needed to do this is not always straightforward. This episode explores the intersection of global development finance and climate finance , looking at the barriers developing countries face in n...

Housing has no shortage of statistics, yet somehow it still has a shortage of homes people can actually afford. Perhaps the problem is not that we lack data, but that we have been measuring symptoms instead of diagnosing the wider system. In this episode of the Flywheel Economics Podcast, we explore why affordable housing should be understood as an ecosystem rather than a single market problem.&nb...

When you look at urban sprawl from a satellite, "building vertically" feels like a solved math problem. But down on the streets of Kano, high-density housing raises complex cultural, structural, and financial questions. In this episode of the Flywheel Economics Podcast, we launch Season 2 of our Affordable Housing Miniseries with an in-depth look at the viability of "vertical cities" in Kano, Nige...

Can an economy be stable if the people living in it don't feel secure? That question sits at the heart of the IMF's 2026 Article IV Consultation on Nigeria. The report commends the country's recent economic reforms, from exchange rate liberalisation to banking reforms, yet it also warns of persistent poverty, food insecurity and rising pressure on households. In this episode of the Flywheel Econom...

In this Flywheel Economics Podcast episode, we sit down with Annika Burke to explore how to move beyond the traditional career ladder toward a model of intentional career development. Annika makes the case for "crafting" a career rather than climbing, actively shaping your path through what you say yes to, what you say no to, and the skills and experiences you combine over time. It's a practical,...

The global economy is entering a period of profound re-calibration. In the latest World Economic Outlook, the IMF paints a sobering picture of an era defined by the "shadow of war." In this Flywheel Economics Podcast episode, we move beyond the headlines to unpack the mechanics of this shift. We explore how conflict in the Middle East translates into inflationary pressure at your local gas pump, w...

Economies as ecosystems. Policymakers as gardeners. Yes, but what does it actually mean for the work you do on the ground? In this episode of the Flywheel Economics Podcast, Richard Ough and Favour Ogbadu pull back the curtain on the core principles of Flywheel Economics. They discuss how these principles are shaping our upcoming Toolkit, a practical, evidence-based roadmap designed to help develo...

What is a Results Mega Buy? Most programmes are full of activity: workshops, reports, pilots, stakeholder meetings, assessments. Everyone is busy. But when the programme ends… what actually remains? In this episode of the Flywheel Economics podcast, Chief Economist Richard Ough introduces the concept of Results Mega Buys (RMBs): a framework built around identifying and protecting the few high-leve...

In international development, there is an obsession with Best Practice. This leads to the adoption of a Public Financial Management reform such as Accrual Accounting under the assumption that transparency follows. However, as Andrew Keith argues, these sophisticated systems often fail because there simply are not enough trained accountants to run them. In this episode, Richard Ough, Favour Ogbadu,...

For decades, Nigeria’s power sector has struggled to meet the need of its population. Despite having the potential to generate 12,500 Megawatts, the daily reality for most families and businesses is a flickering 4,000 Megawatts. This isn't just an infrastructure problem; it’s a systemic one. In this episode of the Flywheel Economics Podcast, we sit down with Patrick O. Okigbo III, Founder of Nexti...

The UK’s aid system is at a crossroads. Budgets have been reduced, priorities reshuffled, and development spending is under sharper political scrutiny than at any point in recent memory. At the same time, the future of the Independent Commission for Aid Impact (ICAI) is under reconsideration. Two former DFID colleagues (yes, this is partly a reunion episode, but with sharper questions than nostalg...

Nauru is often cited as a cautionary tale of the resource curse. It is a nation that reached the pinnacle of global wealth in the 1970s only to face a staggering economic crash. But for Flywheel Economics, the true story of Nauru isn't the collapse; it’s the recovery. In this episode, we sit down with Andrew Keith to deconstruct Nauru’s "roller coaster" economy. We trace a path that began with nea...

The international development landscape is at a turning point. As the global economy becomes more fragmented and uncertain, traditional aid models are under increasing strain. UK ODA has been sharply reduced, USAID’s footprint has narrowed, and support for low-income countries continues to decline. In this episode of the Flywheel Economics podcast, Daniel Yeo, founder of Umami Works (https://umami...

As the year comes to a close, we take a step back to make sense of a rapidly shifting global economy. In this episode, the Flywheel Economics team unpacks the key forces reshaping growth across the world, from escalating tariffs and tightening immigration policies to the rise of new technologies transforming how economies function. We ask: • What really happens when major economies impose tariffs...

Why does monitoring in development often feel like an administrative chore instead of a powerful learning tool? The truth is, many aid organisations are stuck in a "compliance culture," treating monitoring and evaluation (M&E) as a bureaucratic exercise that fails to provide the real-time learning and adapting managers need. In this deep-dive episode of our Value for Money and Aid Effectivenes...

What if the pursuit of "good governance" actually increases the risk of civil conflict? On this provocative episode of the Flywheel Economics Podcast, we challenge the entire development playbook. We sit down with an economist, whose career has taken him into many fragile states, to explore the profound tension between global economic ideals and the desperate need for stability in the world's most...

Why bet on a startup when you can get a sure thing from a government bond? On this episode of the Flywheel Economics Podcast, we're diving into the excitement of venture capital and its powerful potential to drive economic growth. We sit down with Nneka Eze from VestedWorld, a firm at the forefront of this space, to explore the real-world challenges and untapped opportunities. We ask why VCs are t...

Can a nation's economic power be a powerful tool for international development? Or is it primarily a strategy for advancing a country's own interests? On this episode of the Flywheel Economics Podcast, we’re navigating this complex world with a former UK High Commissioner to Nigeria. He has seen firsthand how foreign policy and economic strategy intersect on the ground. Join us as we explore the c...

Flywheel Economics is proud to present this episode on Mafita, a programme that transformed lives by equipping some of Northern Nigeria’s most vulnerable groups with skills, dignity, and opportunity. At its heart, Mafita was about practical empowerment rooted in context. We heard stories like the young woman with a disability who could finally pursue catering once small adjustments were made to he...

After a deep dive into one of the most critical challenges of our time, Flywheel Economics proudly presents the final episode of our Affordable Housing Miniseries. This series has been a journey into the heart of building truly resilient and sustainable communities, moving beyond just bricks and mortar to address the very foundations of economic well-being. In this concluding episode, we bring tog...

Nigeria stands at a pivotal moment, ready to redefine its economic future. In this episode, we dive into the heart of the nation's non-oil export sector, a vibrant space brimming with untapped potential. Join us as we uncover the importance of shaping export policy, ensuring it champions growth that reaches every corner of the economy. We also shine a light on the incredible impact of empowering w...

As we hit the midpoint of 2025, it’s time for a "Momentum Check" here at Flywheel Economics! In this special episode, we look back at the groundbreaking conversations from the first half of the year and unpack the crucial lessons for the future of economic development, especially in emerging markets. We revisit all our episodes; from the power of land titling for affordable housing to the art of m...

What happens when the money shrinks, but the challenges don’t? In this podcast episode, we take a deep dive into the messy, political, and deeply human world of international development, with someone who’s spent years inside it. Our guest, Peter J. Evans, (probably not the one you’re thinking), is a seasoned adviser on governance, inclusion, and aid strategy. He joins us for a reflective and nuan...

Imagine launching a modern business where the entire ecosystem needs to be built from scratch – from charging stations to obtaining custom license plates. This is the incredible, real-life story at the heart of our latest episode. Join us as we dive into the journey of an economist (who remarkably doesn't even drive!) who became the visionary founder of an electric vehicle (EV) taxi company in Sen...