The United Kingdom Government needs a new and more strategic plan to strengthen its development partnership with Nigeria, a report by the UK Parliament’s International Development Committee has said.
The report, sighted by Sunday PUNCH, noted that the committee said the partnership risks being undermined by “multiple obstacles,” including humanitarian needs, insecurity, instability, governance challenges and low investor confidence in Nigeria’s economy.
The UK Government entered into a strategic partnership with Nigeria in 2024, bringing together various areas of bilateral cooperation.
The government had described the agreement as a framework for jointly pursuing shared objectives and strengthening relations between both countries.
However, in its report on the UK’s development partnership with Nigeria, the committee described the arrangement as “a grand strategic bet for the UK,” based on the expectation that targeted support would help Nigeria modernise its economy, increase its Gross Domestic Product and reduce its reliance on humanitarian assistance.
