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High levels of liquidity and a total loan book that accounts for just half of deposits characterise the Algerian banking sector. The industry remains dominated by publicly owned banks, which constitute around nine-tenths of deposits and loans, though foreign-backed private banks are major players in trade finance and are highly profitable. Penetration is roughly in line with neighbouring countries and well above that of the wider North African region, but the level of banking sophistication and financial intermediation remains low, with relatively few retail clients borrowing money from banks or using debit cards. Public banks are expected to continue to dominate the industry for the foreseeable future, but the private sector should gain further market share on the back of such factors as network expansion and product innovation. This chapter contains a viewpoint from Mohammed Laksaci, Governor, Bank of Algeria; and a dialogue with Boualem Djebbar, CEO, Banque de l’Agriculture et du Développement Rural, and Karim Eddine Khellili, CEO, Banque Nationale d’Algérie. It also includes an interview with Abderrazak Trabelsi, General Delegate, Professional Association of Banks and Financial Establishments (ABEF).

Nigeria’s 2011 output level was around 2.45m bpd of oil and condensate, about 2.9% of global production, making it the world’s 12th-largest supplier that year. Estimates of proven reserves for natural gas vary from 180.5 tcf to 187 tcf, but these figures may well underestimate the country’s potential. Indeed Nigeria’s natural gas is even more abundant than its oil, but the country has so far failed to realise more than a fraction of its gas potential. Natural gas exports accounted for 67% of total production, excluding flaring, in 2011. Although an undeniable giant in the energy world, Nigeria faces some challenges in terms of performance and progress of its hydrocarbons sector. These include broad issues like politics and insurgency, in addition to the specifics of regulating a large energy sector. This chapter contains a viewpoint from Diezani Alison Madueke, Minister of Petroleum; and an interview with Ernest Nwapa, Executive Secretary and CEO, Nigerian Content Development and Monitoring Board (NCDMB).

OBG introduces the reader to the different aspects of the legal system in Algeria, in partnership with Gide Loyrette Nouel. Samy Laghouati, Managing Partner, Gide Loyrette Nouel Algeria, talks to OBG.

Since the liberalisation of the press in 1986, Algeria has had a flourishing media industry, publishing approximately 300 newspapers with two main reader profiles – Francophone and Arabic-speaking populations. Experts however assert that while a preponderance of dailies creates the perception of a saturated print market, there is actually a lack of serious and credible media. Online newspapers are poised to become a lucrative market as interest in print media decreases and internet user numbers expand. Valued at approximately €123m in 2008, the advertising sector in Algeria has demonstrated steady growth over the last several years, having doubled in value between 2008 and 2012 to around €250m. Mixed-media campaigns have been described as the most successful in attracting Algerian customers, with the combination of written press, radio and outdoor adverts accounting for 80% of such campaigns.

With significant improvements in education over the past decade, Algeria now has a primary enrolment rate over 95% and has made considerable progress in eliminating illiteracy, the rate of which is now under 8% for those aged 15-24. However, with more than 70% of the population under the age of 30, the number of students entering the school system every year is expected to continue to rise. The private sector is also taking on an increasing role in providing specialised degrees and absorbing the rising number of higher education students. In health care, significant improvements have been made since independence and more are under way to increase access to quality services and align the sector with international standards. However, demographic growth, increased urbanisation and changes in lifestyles have resulted in a rise in chronic diseases. Therefore, Algeria will invest AD619bn (€5.94bn) under its five-year plan (2010-14) to improve health care access and quality, including upgrading existing hospitals and building specialised infrastructure. This chapter contains interviews with Brahim Benabdeslem, Director, Algiers Management Development Institute (MDI); and Abdelaziz Ziari, Minister of Health, Population and Hospital Reform.