According To Boris Johnson, Nigerians Have The Right To Pick Their Leaders.
Boris Johnson, a former British prime minister, said Tuesday that Nigerians should have the freedom to pick their leaders because democracy is the only environment in which prosperity can flourish.
Also, he called on Nigerian lawmakers to guarantee that millions of individuals realize their potential, citing equal rights and access to education as two important prerequisites.
The 16th annual Osigwe Anyiam-Osigwe lecture, with the topic “Rehumanising Human Experience: A Synopsis of Anyiam-Treatises,” Osigwe’s featured Johnson as the main speaker.
Although many Nigerians have not yet realized their full potential, he added that governments must foster environments that allow individuals to do so, “because not only is it ethically good, it is certainly correct if we care about human growth and giving everyone the opportunity to fulfill their potential.”
According to the British MP, if everyone were treated equally before the law, they would realize their full potential. He said that equality before the law is what made Britain what it is today.
“First and foremost, you need equality before the law because that is the basis of freedom,” he stated. In Britain, you will be subjected to the same inspection and protection regardless of your wealth.
“The ability to choose your own representatives and to remove them from office is the next big freedom. Democracy is what it’s known as, he said.
Insisting on the need for an accepting environment where variety is valued, he said that this was what made London a talent hotbed.
Johnson, who argued for closer ties between Nigeria and Britain, said that doing so would enable both nations to realize their full potential.
“The moment is now,” he said. Now is the moment for Britain and Nigeria, two strong democracies, to cooperate in an uncertain world where some countries are detaching from one another. Nigeria can generate both oil and gas and be a giant in the field of renewable energy. We could work together more often.
He suggests more cooperation in the fields of free commerce, free expression, and free elections.
He said that “urban triumphs are founded on freedom under the law,” stating that “you need an open, tolerant society to realize human potentials.”
According to Johnson, Lagos is to Africa what London is to Britain. Nonetheless, he asked the Lagos State Government to enhance its transportation network, saying that being stuck in traffic for a long time may be very stressful.
He suggested that the state government examine the public transport system in Britain rather than go to “China or Russia.”
He cites Lagos, London, and Los Angeles as the three states with the strongest creative industries. He honored Peace Maria Anyiam-Osigwe, the late CEO of the Africa Movie Academy Award (AMAA), for her contributions to the growth of the creative sector in Africa.
