The British High Commissioner in Nigeria, Dr Richard Montgomery, has expressed commitment to strengthening the existing relationship between the United Kingdom and Nigeria.
Montgomery made the commitment in an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) on Sunday in Abuja, in commemoration of his first anniversary in Nigeria.
He said the UK had stepped up its engagement with Nigeria and recorded a significant increase in areas of trade and security, in 2023.
According to the envoy, it is obvious that both countries have a very strong set of people-to – people links with a huge Nigerian heritage that works and lives in the UK, just like there is a huge British population with dual nationality in Nigeria.
He said that his first year in office was partly driven by the inauguration of President Bola Tinubu and the need for the UK to get to know the new government in Nigeria.
He added that one of the highlights of his first year was when he hosted the former foreign secretary of the UK, James Cleverly, who visited President Bola Tinubu in early August 2023.
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Montgomery said that Cleverly met with business leaders and partners across government, adding that after the meeting with Tinubu, both countries agreed to work in three areas.
The British Envoy listed the areas as security, trade and investment, and “reasonable cooperation”.
“Both countries will need to step up their security independence, and they should strongly enhance the trade and investment between them,” he said.
He called on African countries to unite and ensure that democracy thrives on the continent.
“They should have a reasonable cooperation because the Nigerian President was the chairman of ECOWAS when a difficult development occurred in the region, like the coup in Niger.
“There was a discussion on these regional issues and how the UK can support,” he said.
NIGERIAN TRIBUNE
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