The South Korean president, Moo-Hun Roh, has just concluded a 3-day state visit to Nigeria. He came here straight from Egypt (ha! you remember something?). Wait. Soon after, Thabo Mbeki, our highly beloved (because he has refused the ever-tempting and self-immolating "sit-tight" apple!) South African president, was here - on a stopover from the inauguration of Michelle Bachelet as Chile's first female president. We hear they talked about Charles Taylor, the former Liberian leader whose current first-ever elected female African president, Ellen Johnson-Sirleaf, was here the week before, seeking his extradition. Taylor, the former warlord, has been indicted for war crimes by the UN Tribunal in Sierra Leone. Now back to Mbeki and South Africa (hey, aren't you recalling something!). You know I was going on so positively about the Egypt-Nigeria-South Africa tripod for the upliftment of our dear continent and the assurance of the new renaissance....yes? Now you can see...yes. The Obasanj/Mbeki bond, in and out of political office, will be magical for NEPAD.

Recall, if you may, the water-from-the-Mediterranean sea-to-the-Tripoli desert miracle. It was widely, even wildly hailed as the 8th wonder of the world. President Gaddafi, the Libyan strongman, got the South Koreans to perform the multibillion-dollar wonder which western experts previously declared as an impossible wishful thinking! No matter. Recall, if you can, that the Apartheid System installed a first world economy in a third world country for western interests in Africa. That infrastructure is now been sensibly managed by the Mandela Visionaries. And boy, Nigerians fought for and madly love the Madiba!

If Olusegun Obasanjo, the Nigerian president (some would say strongman, considering his distinct pedigree, predilections, privileges, propensities and postures), were to kindly adopt the much recommended Mandela/Mbeki approach to political tenure sanctity, thus squelching the now out-of-control war for tenure extension, just see the glorious alliance we can have in the Mandela/Obasanjo/Mbeki elderstatesmanship. Please join us in praying for the distinguished African son. Amen.

Today's theory therefore is the building of the 9th Wonder (there will be several others to be proposed on this floor, so stop wondering...will you!) of the world. Let us build a Multiplex Afrobahn from Cairo to Cape Town on a 5-Year Time Table. It should run 150-300 km parallel to River Nile, bundling the following into the mix: multiple train-tracks, Tripoli-style sea water and desalination open conduits, multi-lane mega highways, hydo-stations, wind-stations, solar-stations, corn-cities/sugar cane-cities/beet-cities, cassava-cities, fish-towns, multi-track telecoms nodes, mega industrial zones, mega sports zones, mega inland ports, millenniun airports and AU military camps/forts.

Egypt, Libya, Algeria, Nigeria, South Africa should fund-guarantee it, using Korean expertise, tying in Sino-African bilaterals, and tapping IMF/World Bank entitlements (note this!). Africa should then unleash its multitude of jobless youths, idle military, diaspora brains and numerous universities on the project.

This can be done TODAY! And the Management Team? Obasanjo/Mbeki/Kofi Annan/Gaddafi/Mubarak (the last two, calling snap elections to find credible successors in their countries by 2008). Incidentally, the Korean president was wooing Africa for our votes to enable his foreign minister succeed Kofi Annan as UN secretary general.

I suggest that , by this project, Africa will become an instant world destination...just like China/India/UAE-Dubai. And why not!