On a short visit to Nigeria, British Prime Minister David Cameron acknowledged the achievements of Lagos State Governor Babatunde Fashola, which other administrators should emulate, reports EMMANUEL OLADESU

When British Minister David Cameron visited Lagos, the commercial capital of Nigeria, along with some political and business leaders, he observed that a strong and accountable government is possible in Nigeria and Africa.

Although there are obstacles on the way, the visitor pointed out that the hope of transformation was not dim, stressing that the achievements of Lagos State Governor Babatunde Fashola aptly pointed to a path which African leaders should tread.

Cameron’s appraisal was premised on his casual observation during his brief visit to Nigeria for a bilateral talk with President Goodluck Jonathan. Prior to the meeting, the Prime Minister delivered a lecture at the Pan-Africa University, which focused on ‘Aid, Trade and Democracy in Nigeria’. While the meeting lasted, insecurity loomed large in the northern Nigeria, where members of the Boko Haram sect were on the prowl.

Nigeria “is waiting to happen,” said Cameron, who hinged his optimism on Fashola’s example. The envisaged change and development cannot be automatic. Governance is a collective enterprise involving the government and governed. Therefore, Cameron also spoke on the huge responsibilities of citizens to make their governments accountable. His contention was that, if there is a rational leadership in Nigeria, it would rob off on the continent.

Cameron offered a face-value appraisal, but the facts and figures tendered by him cannot be ignored. He said Fashola “has shown what strong and accountable governance can achieve”. He cited the on-going Eko Atlantic City Project and aptly referred how Fashola had transformed Balogun Market.

The Prime Minister encouraged African leaders to confront their respective intra-state challenges, adopting the Fashola approach. He acknowledged that there “are challenges in Africa’s politics. But it is up to all of us to live up to this moment of promise, and overcome these doubts. African leaders must serve their people”.

In Cameron’s language, to people like Fashola, President Goodluck Jonathan, Liberian President Ellen Johnson-Sirleaf, his Ghanaian counterpart, President John Atta-Mills, falls the task of leading the charge in creating strong governance.

“They must insist on the effective, meritocratic and transparent public institutions which enable people to flourish. In Nigeria, these building blocks are putting in place…from a lively and open media and an active civil society to the recent elections which were widely regarded as the most free and fair in the country’s history. For much of this year, the eyes of the world have been to the north with the momentous events of the Arab Spring. This can be Africa’s moment,” the prime minister said.

But Cameron did not leave the African people out of governance issues. He wanted them to wake up from their slumber. He also wanted them to make significant inputs that all the states on the continent to realise what the prime minister described as effective, meritocratic and transparent public institutions that can enable the people grow. He wanted them to put their leaders on their toes.

This explained why he said the future of Africa “is for its people to determine. The most important task falls to the African people. The responsibility is for you to stand up and hold your governments to account. Across Africa, we can already see the powerful things that happen when the African people rise up and decide to shape their own future. From tackling election abuse in Zimbabwe to the political violence in Kenya, it is not just about donors. It is about you. What you do.

“African people can hold their government to account. They can insist on a bigger say in how their country is run. They can stand up and say, in this generation their children should be vaccinated and go to school. And they can demand more participation in the economy–or simply a job. These are the demands that the people have made in such countries as Egypt, Tunisia and Libya.

“These are the demands that have propelled the Arab Spring. These are the demands, which supported by a revolution in trade and enterprise mean Africa can seize its own moment of opportunity. At stake is quite simply the chance to change millions of lives across the continent. The future of Africa is yours. But you have to seize it. Look here in Nigeria at the elections for President Goodluck Jonathan.

“Look at Ghana, flourishing since it moved from military leadership to democracy with 14 per cent growth this year. Look at Cote D’Ivoire too. When President Laurent Gbagbo tried to overturn an election result, ordinary Ivoiriens, Africa and the international community at large refused to allow him to make Cote D’Ivoire his own personal fiefdom. Look at the National Transitional Council in Libya who believes in democracy and a country free from tribalism and extremism”.

But whether the people of Africa have capacity to play the roles Cameron call to remains an issue.

It was also why the prime minister said Britain had started making sure that any complaint about the activities of British citizens and British companies “are investigated. So, I say to the trade sceptics that we have to do trade right. But if we do, trade has the power to transform lives in African like nothing before it. I am calling on Europe” to follow the suit as a step to ensure better transparent transaction.

“When we find corruption robbing the people of their rights, we need to act fast. We want to disclose the payments our companies make to Nigerian government so that you can hold the government to account for the money it received,” he said. Therefore, pledged collaboration in fighting graft. He promised to help institute better accountable and transparent institutions Nigeria needs to achieve her potentials.

But Jonathan said the trans- Atlantic visit of the British Prime Minister amid tight schedules further proved that Africa “will play a critical role in the future of the planet”. He acknowledged that so much “has happened in this decade. Our current reality vividly demonstrates that our prosperity or adversity on one side of Africa is answerable to consequences of prosperity and adversity on the other end”.