Government Protection, US Healthcare Costs and Nigeria’s Cement Prices

Corporations exist primarily to create returns for shareholders. When businesses exploit consumers or distort markets, the responsibility lies mainly with policymakers who design and enforce the rules. I argue that compulsory health insurance contributes to high healthcare costs in the United States. The US spends far more per person on healthcare than the UK and Canada, yet its health outcomes are not clearly better. Insurance should be optional, while government support should be funded through taxation to prevent people from being denied care or pushed into bankruptcy. Nigeria’s cement industry presents a similar policy problem. Import restrictions and long-term protection helped local producers grow, but cement prices remain far higher than in countries such as India and Egypt despite production capacity exceeding local demand. Producers can also sell more cheaply in neighbouring markets. I believe Nigeria should reopen cement imports. Local producers are now established and should compete without government protection. Lower cement prices could reduce construction costs and, in more competitive cities, help bring down rents.

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