A fresh coat

My favorite idea for a Nigerian stimulus package came from CLEEN's director Innocent Chukwuma, who suggested an ordinance requiring all property owners to paint their houses and shops. Think of what this would do for job creation and for the paint industry.

To say nothing of beautification. As it is, the only painted structures are the houses of rich people and stores that serve as billboards for various Nigerian consumer brands. Sometimes among a sea of grey-brown houses you'll see one painted bright green, part of a deal with Glo, the big mobile phone company here. Sometimes a whole apartment building will be covered. And I love this shop on my street, whose paint job was sponsored by Indomie, a brand of instant noodles similar to Ramen in the U.S.

Maybe these ads are appealing to me because they seem so old-fashioned. But this is one area where I will not be complaining about the crass commercialization of public space. More visual clutter, please!