White White White

Every time you drive through a settlement in rural Cameroon you are greeted by hordes of children hurtling out of their houses and schools screaming 'white, white, white' at the truck as it trundles through. The waves, smiles, and sheer excitement on the faces of the kids is one of the most enchanting aspects of travelling in this part of the world. The kids in Nigeria are only slightly less restrained, perhaps the colonial legacy of British diffidence as compared to French bonhommie? Whatever the answer, it's clear that our presence is greeted as a rare and remarkable thing to behold.

The sheer number of children you see in the villages leaves you wondering whether these countries are going to be facing spiralling population problems in the years to come. Often you see them neatly turned out in brightly coloured school uniforms, the schools invariably being run by the churches. Religion is a big force in West Africa and the churches are well kept and bursting with activity. In Northern Nigeria the same is true of the mosques.

Religious slogans such as 'The Lord is my Saviour' abound on billboards and the back of lorries - possibly an optimistic sentiment to hold given the breathtaking disregard for road safety exhibited by your average Nigerian driver. The churches are also heavily involved in running the ubiquituous Aids Clinics you encounter in even the smallest villages. There seems to be a strong moral flavour to the way in which the disease is being tackled here perhaps emanating from the lead role being taken by the churches. I was interested to read in one of the lively Nigerian newspapers that the Government had responded to criticism of its policies by the Nobel Laureate Wole Solyinka by stating it would offer no comment, as it was impossible to have any meaningful discussion with somebody who doesn't believe in God.

Currently we're staying in the rat infested staff car park of the Sheraton Hotel in Abuja. Abuja is a strange modern capital city half build before the money ran out, leaving it as an odd jumble of showpiece buildings and empty lots. The compensation for the rats is access to our first proper shower in weeks, and the attractions of a large swimming pool.