Tinubu, UK’s David Lammy Meet To Strengthen Partnership On Jobs, Security, And Cultural Ties

President Bola Tinubu received the U.K. Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, David Lammy, at the State House in Abuja on Monday, noting that Nigeria was committed to strengthening partnership agreements with the European country.

Minister of Foreign Affairs Yusuf Tuggar said these agreements included job growth, enhanced security, migration and home affairs, stronger collaboration on modernized partnerships and improved connections between people.

During the meeting, Tinubu emphasized that these partnership agreements affected key areas and created an impact on citizens' livelihoods, including arts, culture, trade and security, as per the official statement shared on X.

"I am happy that Nigeria is your first port of call. We have come a long way with our shared history. The challenge we face now is a call to promote unity and inclusivity," Tinubu said. "Britain and Nigeria have a long history, and we have always cherished the relationship."

The president pointed out that West Africa faced security challenges, with Nigeria receiving displaced persons from countries such as Mali and Burkina Faso. He also stressed that Nigeria was doing its best to promote peace.

Tinubu urged Britain to focus more on African countries like Sudan, in addition to issues in Ukraine, noting that humanity requires attention to these matters.

He also told the foreign secretary that Nigeria's economic reforms were making progress and aimed at stimulating the economy in the long term.

The foreign secretary expressed how wonderful it was to be in Nigeria, especially to meet the president in person, before mentioning that former U.K. Prime Ministers Tony Blair and Gordon Brown were good friends of Africa.

Lammy noted that the U.K. and Nigeria have strong relationships built over many years, sharing values through their history in the Commonwealth.

He also noted that Prime Minister Keir Starmer's government aimed to make positive changes in their relationship, highlighting that the government was committed to economic growth and emphasizing that economic growth was essential for peace and security.

"Your macro-economic performance is important to Nigeria's long-term prosperity and security and at any time clearly will make a difference in investor confidence in the economy," he added.