The visit by President Buhari to London although was for the Commonwealth of heads of states meeting. But his on the side meeting with the Prime Minister of Britain Theresa May yesterday is yielding results already, as the UK has pledged her support to help Nigeria fight the menace in the name of Boko Haram. This they will be doing by donating £1million to the Nigerian government to help curb the terrorism in the country and region in general, especially on IEDs and safety of troops and civilians.
The president who had earlier said even though he has made his intention of seeking a reelection known, insist he is not bothered about elections for now, as his administration is still focused on the things they promised Nigerians, which is security, economy and fight against corruption. He thanked the Prime Minister and Britain for their continuous support as the talks of trade and military assistance continues between both nations. On their part, the spokesperson for the Prime minister listed all the things that were discussed by both leaders, saying:
The Statement from the Prime Minister’s office after the meeting between the two leaders reads:
The Prime Minister had a bilateral meeting with President Buhari of Nigeria at Downing Street today. They agreed that the UK and Nigeria were strong and enduring partners and that we would continue to champion our shared values of democracy, including the fight against corruption, and inclusive education.
They agreed our defence and security cooperation was close and longstanding, particularly on issues of regional security where we were working together to tackle the threat of Boko Haram and Islamic State West Africa, including through a new £1 million package of counter-IED equipment to protect troops and civilians in Nigeria. The Prime Minister said she was saddened so many girls had been affected by the security situation in Nigeria, and that the thoughts of the British people were with the girls and their families.
They agreed on the importance of tackling climate change, and of fighting the scourge of modern slavery. They discussed Salisbury and Syria, agreeing on the vital importance of upholding international norms against the use of chemical weapons.
The Prime Minister also congratulated the President on leading a successful business reform agenda in Nigeria, noting that as the UK leaves the EU, our bilateral trade and investment relationship would continue to go from strength to strength.