Nigeria, March 4 -- I grew up on a diet of welfarism as espoused by the great manager of men and resources, Obafemi Awolowo, first premier of the then Western Region of Nigeria. It is to that great man that many of us, who later went on to play leadership roles in various aspects of our professional and national lives, owe our worldview - especially our conceptualisation of the essence of governance and leadership.

Awolowo insisted that a government derived its legitimacy from being able to protect and advance the cause of its people. Thus, he democratised the playing field by ensuring that everyone had access to primary education. His famous reaction to the subject was, "I want free access to education for all. I do not want the childre...