Hope springing up for Nigeria

The president has been playing a shrewd game in the past few months which looks like it will lead to an excellent result for Nigeria. More important than 60% debt relief per se is the conditionality attached to it. For once, conditionality may prove to be a good thing. The newspapers here report that there are conditions for DR which include ensuring that no ex-dictators come to power in 2007. Although there has yet to be full disclosure of the conditions, this should lock Nigeria into further democratic developments. Among the small but dynamic group we have around us we are agreed on at least one thing: Nigeria is one of the most exciting places to be on the planet right now.