British PM visits Lagos.

The British PM urges Nigerians and the media to hold our government to account.

Kayode Babalola

British Prime Minister David Cameron paid a visit to a clinic in Lagos, today to see for himself how British aid money is spent on the front line.

Mr Cameron saw babies at the Public Health Centre in the Sura district receiving vaccinations for yellow fever, which claims many lives each year in Nigeria.

The inoculations were provided by the Global Alliance for Vaccines and Immunisations (Gavi) as part of a nationwide programme to prevent illnesses like measles, polio, diphtheria and tetanus.

Mr Cameron spoke to some of the mothers queuing to be seen by Dr Wale Akeredoly and chief nurse Shakirat Bello, many of them carrying their babies strapped tightly to their backs in brightly coloured slings.

Admiring three-month-old twins Mubarak and Mubarakat, Mr Cameron - whose own baby Florence will be one year old next month - joked: "They are very well-behaved. Maybe I should get some tips!"

With Gavi's help, state-run clinics like the one in Sura have pushed immunisation rates in Lagos up to 65%-70% - far higher than in the north of the country, where diseases like measles are still major killers and polio has not yet been eradicated.

Britain's Department for International Development operates a scheme in Nigeria to monitor vaccination rates, train nurses and reach out to women who might otherwise miss out on healthcare for their children.

And Mrs Bello's clinic in a modest single-storey building near the Sura Market offers free maternal health checks, childcare advice and 24-hour facilities to deliver babies.

Following that visit, Mr. Cameron was at the Lagos Business School, Pan-African University in Ajah, where he gave a talk on opportunities between the United Kingdom and African countries.

He made salient points about the independence of the media and their ability to question the government. Giving the example the current News of The World Scandal in his native country, he said that the media was critical in driving national development. 

He also said that people should move from a state of dependence to a state of independence stating that aid should benefit both parties, not just the giver. 

Seated alongside Lagos governor, Babatunde Fashola and Central Bank governor, Lamido Sanusi, the British Prime Minister also urged Nigerians to hold our government to account. The biggest applause of the day was reserved for the Lagos governor, whom the British PM praised as doing a great job in Lagos.

The PM is on his way to meet with President Goodluch Jonathan who also arrived in Lagos last night.