Segun Atanda/
Britain has unveiled plans to train Nigerian army counterterror squads to fight against Boko Haram under a new security partnership.
According to a report in The Independent newspaper of UK, the plans will see British armed forces training full fighting units for the first time, with the aim of equipping them to also tackle Islamic State West Africa (a splinter group from Boko Haram).
British officials will also launch a £13m initiative to train school children caught in Boko Haram’s conflict zone and counter the group’s propaganda.
The announcement comes on the second day of Theresa May’s tour of Africa, also taking in South Africa and Kenya, as Ms May also announced:
- A new task force to help Nigeria recover stolen assets held in Britain
- A fintech partnership
- Proposals to boost the City’s role in the country, with a $10bn (£7.75bn) Nigerian firm committing to list in London
Launching the plan, Ms May said: “No one should live in fear of being targeted by militants or forced from their homes, and no child should lose out on an education because of the threat of terror.
“Insecurity, violence and extremism destabilise countries and regions and undermine growth, holding back entire generations from reaching their potential.
“It is only when people are safe and communities stable that nations have the opportunity to thrive.”
Boko Haram and Islamic State West Africa are responsible for the deaths of more than 20,000 people, with almost two million forced to live away from their homes in the northeast of the country.
Earlier this year the group kidnapped more than 100 young girls from their village after pretending to be government soldiers.
Under the new partnership Britain will expand its provision of equipment and training for the Nigerian army to tackle the improvised explosive devices used by the groups.
Boko Haram has adopted the bombs and the insurgency style tactics that the UK faced in Iraq and Afghanistan.
Until now the UK had only trained Nigerian soldiers individually – not in their full fighting teams – helping to improve the skills of some 30,000 troops since 2015, but the new move to train full units represents an intensification of cooperation.
Ms May signed the partnership in Abuja after flying in from Cape Town on Wednesday morning.
On arrival, she gave the country’s president, Muhammadu Buhari, a personalised miniature infantry sword letter opener and some 10 Downing Street glassware.
Mr Buhari underwent officer cadet training at a school in Aldershot between 1962 and 1963.
Under the new partnership the UK will also deliver a £13m programme to educate 100,000 children living in the conflict zone created by Boko Haram’s activity.
Officials will then show Mr Buhari’s administration how to set up a new Nigerian crisis response mechanism, similar to the UK’s Cobra system, which swings into action in the face of any event requiring urgent action.
The plan will also aim to cut the number of new recruits joining Boko Haram by tackling the false information spread by the group to attract new members.
This will involve working with communities in Nigeria to counter the narrative peddled by the terror group.
UK officials said the work would draw on Britain’s experience of countering Islamic State propaganda at home.
Britain is a leading global hub for fintech, which contributes more than £5bn to the economy every year.
Meanwhile, Ms May has revealed she had an excellent time in Nigeria and hopes to see increased trade and investment between Nigeria and the UK.
She spoke with reporters at the Presidential Wing of the Murtala Muhammed Airport, Ikeja on Wednesday in Lagos, shortly before departing the country at 8:10 p.m.
She said, “I was in Abuja and also in Lagos to see the thriving business community here.
“We want to see increased trade between Nigeria and UK, increased investment, bringing jobs here in Nigeria, jobs in the UK.
“This will be good for both countries and I have had an excellent time in Nigeria, and I am very pleased to be here today.”
Gov. Akinwunmi Ambode of Lagos State, who was at the airport to see her off, said the important visit centred on improving investment in the state and the country in general.
“She has visited Abuja earlier in the day.
“The important part of this visit was a discussion on how investment in Lagos can be improved by British investors.
“We realise that Lagos is the commercial capital of Nigeria and a whole lot of British investment are domiciled in Lagos,” he said.
The governor said they spoke about how to improve investment planning and what Lagos has been doing to attract investors.
“We having been doing a lot of judicial sector reforms and security sector reforms and she is pleased with the progress we are making in Lagos.
“She is ready to complement our efforts by opening up export credit facility and also with the development of finance to some of the things that we are doing in Lagos,” he said.
Ambode said the discussion also centred on boosting technology and improving infrastructure and the creative industry.
“We spoke about things related to technology, infrastructure and also the creative industry.”
On the relationship between Lagos and Britain, Ambode said: “we need to make sure that a whole lot of British investment is coming to Lagos. She is willing to do more with us.
“You know, Lagos in 1861 was a British colony. The history has been so long, so, we also need to reactivate that,” Ambode said.
NAN reports that the state government, in a statement by the governor’s Chief Press Secretary, Mr Habib Aruna, shed more light on Ambode’s discussion with May.
Ambode, according to the statement, said that much of Nigerian education, cultural and political systems were influenced by Britain and there were more Nigerians living in the UK than elsewhere in the world.
The governor said that Lagos remained a place of choice for British investors, especially given that stability in the government, the size of Lagos economy and population, as well as the particular focus of his administration on the rule of law and justice sector reform.
He also said that it would be of particular importance to Lagos State if British investors could explore the various opportunities that exist in the State in the areas of energy, technology, export finance, infrastructure and the creative industry.
“So, we spoke about how we can improve the investment climate in Lagos and then the other parts of what Lagos has been doing to attract investors.
“You know we have been doing a lot in judicial sector reforms and security sector reforms and the Prime Minister was pleased with the progress that we are making in Lagos and ready to complement our efforts by opening up export credit facility and development finance to some of the things that we are doing in Lagos State.”
The Governor expressed optimism in the strengthening of the relationship between Britain and Lagos and avowed that his administration would do whatever it takes to achieve that goal.
According to the statement, May, on her part, said that export credit finance to the tune of 750 million pounds sterling, as well as considerable development finance was available, which Lagos State could look towards.
She also spoke about the role that British could play in the development of the technology industry in Lagos given the particular capability of the UK in that area.
The British Prime Minister also noted the special strength of the London City as a financial hub that could be of considerable importance for Lagos State, just as she emphasized sustainability and growth in Britain/Lagos relationship.
Finally, she expressed the desire of the British government to assist Lagos in the development of her creative industry and alluded to the fact that the jacket she was wearing when she met with the Governor was actually made in Nigeria.
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