The UK Prime Minister, Mr David Cameron, who visited Nigeria on a trade mission, was hosted by Lagos Business School (LBS) on Tuesday.
Cameron who was received by the Dean of LBS, Dr Enase Okonedo, spoke to an audience of business leaders and key Nigerian government officials including the Executive Governor of Lagos State, Babatunde Raji Fashola and the Central Bank of Nigeria Governor, Mallam Sanusi Lamido Sanusi.
He told Africans to take hold of opportunities in the continent to trade, grow and raise living standards of millions of people in poverty.
He said: “This is a time for the whole of Africa to meet the aspirations of its people. A time when aid, trade and democracy can come together to offer a new future for Africa and its people.”
Commenting on how Africa can attain economic prosperity, and the role of business schools, Okonedo said Africans can only reap these opportunities if they are equipped to do so.
She said: “It is one thing for us to say we want to enthrone good governance, but are we developing leaders that can enthrone good governance? Do we have leaders that understand the full consequences of aid and how the benefits can be realised?”
Okonedo explained that in addition to imparting in future leaders the skills needed for good governance, business schools should instill in them the values that are important.
“LBS is positioned to develop the kind of leaders Africa needs, because of the emphasis we place in our curriculum on the importance of integrity, business ethics, accountability and servant-leadership”, she added.
