The UK Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, Hon. David Lammy MP and President Bola Tinubu have formalised a strategic partnership to elevate bilateral relations between the UK and Nigeria.
The Strategic Partnership, signed by Nigeria’s Minister of Foreign Affairs, Ambassador Yusuf Tuggar and Lammy, at the State House, Abuja, provides a framework for advancing cooperation on priority issues, including economic growth, foreign policy and security.
This partnership also includes a commitment from both governments to hold a Nigeria-UK Bi-National Commission, creating a platform to assess the strategic partnership and discuss key areas of mutual interest.
The foreign secretary emphasised the significance of the relationship, stating, “Nigeria is the first country I have visited in Africa as Foreign Secretary because our relationship is important, and there are exciting opportunities to strengthen it further. I am delighted to have agreed today on a new Nigeria-UK strategic partnership. This framework encompasses everything we do together, from economic growth and jobs to national security, tackling the climate crisis and strengthening our people-to-people ties.”
Lammy also met with Nigeria’s Minister of Finance and Coordinating Minister of the Economy, Wale Edun and the governor of the Central Bank of Nigeria, Yemi Cardoso to discuss UK support for Nigeria’s economic reforms and shared growth opportunities.
According to a statement by Atinuke Akande-Alegbe, senior communications and public diplomacy officer at the British High Commission, Lammy initiated a support package for Nigeria’s economic reforms based on three pillars of the UK Centre of Expertise on Public Finance. This collaboration will facilitate the sharing of technical expertise, support evidence-based tax policy formulation, enhance revenue generation, and improve public financial management systems to ensure efficient use of resources.
