British PM, Cameron Visits Nigeria, Shuns Abuja!

British Prime Minister, David Cameron was in Nigeria on Tuesday as part of his working visit to Africa. He had earlier gone to South Africa where he held talks with President Jacob Zuma. The British Prime Minister flew in to Lagos at the head of a business delegation to call on Africans to use trade, aid and political reform to make the most of “Africa’s moment”.
Mr Cameron’s itinerary included a speech to students at the Lagos Business School, Pan African University, Ajah, a trip to the Public Health Centre in the Sura district where children are vaccinated against Yellow Fever and other diseases. The Prime Minister also had talks with President Goodluck Jonathan.
At the Lagos Business School, Cameron defended Britain’s decision to spend 0.7 per cent of gross national income on aid from 2013, and in particular its efforts to help those suffering from the drought in the Horn of Africa.
He also argued that the fast-growing economies in Africa, coupled with an increasing shift towards democratic governments presents a huge opportunity for the continent to stop relying on hand-outs.
“Africa is transforming in a way no one thought possible 20 years ago, and suddenly a whole new future seems within reach,” Cameron said while addressing the students.
While appealing to the students to make god use of the opportunities that abound now, the Prime Minister said “today there are unprecedented opportunities to trade and grow, raise living standards and lift billions from poverty. So I urge you: seize these opportunities, grab them, shape them.”
Highlighting the progress of democracy in Africa, Cameron congratulated President Goodluck Jonathan on his victory in the April 2011, he also said it is “time for the whole of Africa to meet the aspirations of people”, and urged Africans to take action to ensure they have a bigger say in how their countries are run. These are the demands the people have made in Egypt, Tunisia and Libya.” After the session at the Business School, the Prime Minister left for a meeting with President Jonathan.
Street Journal’s investigations revealed that Mr. Cameron decided to restrict his visit to Lagos as British Intelligence have warned that Abuja might be unsafe for the Prime Minister in view of the bombings that have been rocking the northern part of Nigeria lately.
The Prime Minister is expected to attend to the phone hacking scandal that is making the headlines on his return to Britain.