High-level visit to Nigeria signals strength and importance to UK-Nigeria partnership
Mr Duddridge was accompanied by the UK Prime Minister’s Special Envoy for Girls’ Education and Trade Envoy to Nigeria, Helen Grant MP.
During the 4-day visit, the Mr. Duddridge and Ms. Grant covered a wide range of issues, including human rights, girls’ education, and electoral reform. They discussed how the UK can work in partnership with Nigeria to address insecurity; and how to support economic development and mutual prosperity as the world builds back better from COVID-19.
In Abuja, Minister Duddridge met Chief of Staff to President Buhari, Professor Ibrahim Gambari, Senate President Ahmed Lawan, Foreign Minister Geoffrey Onyeama, the Governors of Kaduna and Jigawa, ECOWAS President Jean-Claude Brou, leading civil society organisations and members of the international community. Ms Grant also met the Minister of Education.
During the visit, the Minister for Africa and the Trade Envoy attended the signing of a Memorandum of Understanding between the Nigerian Sovereign Investment Authority and Konexa, a British company, which will help increase sustainable energy access in Nigeria. The delegation also visited a government secondary school in Abuja that is currently being supported by the British Council’s Connecting Classrooms programme.
In Lagos, Mr. Duddridge met the Governors of Lagos and Edo States, had a dinner with members of the Nigerian creative sector and met representatives of UK business and investment groups in Nigeria. Mr. Duddridge also visited Apapa seaport, where he took a tour of a terminal and met Nigerian agencies to discuss law enforcement and trade facilitation between the UK and Nigeria.