The British High Commissioner, Dr. Richard Montgomery has completed a productive visit to Lagos and Ogun states, emphasisng the United Kingdom’s commitment to strengthening bilateral relations and supporting key development initiatives in these regions.
During the four-day visit, the High Commissioner met with Governor Dapo Abiodun of Ogun State and Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu of Lagos State. Discussions focused on enhancing economic ties, driving investments and exploring opportunities for shared prosperity and future priorities beneficial to both the states and the UK.
A major highlight of the visit to Ogun State was the announcement and signing of a letter of intent by UK company Hinckley to establish Nigeria’s first battery recycling facility in the state. The $5m investment, provided by the UK’s Manufacturing Africa (MA) programme, will create a lithium-ion and lead-acid battery recycling and treatment plant in Ogun State, using patented recycling technology.
In Lagos, Montgomery met with Chief Emeka Anyaoku and several business leaders, including the CEOs of Airtel Nigeria, Standard Chartered Nigeria, Helios Investment Partners, Afrinvest and KPMG West Africa.
At the conclusion of the visit, Montgomery remarked:
“My visit to Lagos and Ogun states has reinforced the strong ties between our two great countries.
“Both states are crucial to boosting Nigeria’s economic prosperity, and the UK is committed to driving that growth, promoting trade and supporting their development.”
Commenting on the $5m investment in Ogun State, he said:
“It is fantastic that Hinckley Recycling is committed to establishing Nigeria’s first battery recycling facility, creating a new high-value export industry in Ogun State and 100 new jobs. Congratulations to the Commissioners and OgunInvest, who collaborated with Hinckley to make this groundbreaking project a reality.
“The UK fully supports His Excellency, Governor Abiodun’s mission to attract new investment and jobs to Ogun State. Last year, the UK government’s development finance bank, British International Investment, invested $15m in Valency International, and the UK’s Manufacturing Africa programme is currently supporting four other companies in Ogun State to raise capital and expand their production facilities.”
