The UK Government invested more than £300 million delivering programmes and peacekeeping to bolster African nations’ stability and security last year, to the benefit of people in Africa and the UK.
Minister of State in the UK Cabinet Office, Baroness Lucy Neville-Rolfe DBE CMG, is in Nigeria to cement the UK-Nigeria partnership and demonstrate the UK’s commitment to the security of the wider region. She will see first-hand the impact funding is having in Nigeria and how the two countries are tackling shared security challenges in West Africa, particularly the threat posed by cyber-attacks.
The visit comes days after the UK-Nigeria Security and Defence Partnership talks where the two countries reached agreements on cybersecurity, defence cooperation, counterterrorism, human rights and civil-military cooperation.
As part of the investment, more than £15 million went to strengthening Nigeria’s security. which, as a result of the UK’s direct support, benefitted Nigerian and British nationals by detecting and seizing more than 3 tonnes of illegal drugs.
In North-Eastern Nigeria, UK funding has also helped more than 500 people fleeing violent groups re-settle into communities. It supported vocational training, religious counselling, psycho-social support, drug counselling and numeracy and literacy lessons.
The UK and Nigeria’s cooperation on regional threats to stability included the contribution from the UK to UN efforts to stabilise communities in the Lake Chad Basin after a decade of violence by extremist groups. Almost 11 million people across Nigeria, Cameroon, Chad and Niger have been affected by this violence so the support provided is vital.
Speaking in Abuja, Minister of State, Baroness Neville-Rolfe, said: “The United Kingdom and Nigeria are firm security and economic partners. I am proud that, through the CSSF, the UK has been able to play such a valuable role in bolstering Nigeria’s security.
“Investment in Nigeria and the broader region has been instrumental in tackling some important challenges, from drug smuggling to cybercrime and human displacement. These challenges are transnational, so by supporting our partners in Nigeria and West Africa we are also helping to safeguard people in the UK.
“Closer collaboration is vital in ensuring we can respond to threats and to promote a free, open, peaceful and secure cyberspace, which is why the UK and Nigeria recently committed to working more closely together to tackle cybercrime.
“As the largest economy in Africa, Nigeria’s stability and security is vital to the security of the wider region and the UK. I look forward to our partnership strengthening as we continue to work together on shared challenges in the years ahead.”
The British High Commission to Nigeria, Dr. Richard Montgomery, said: “I am delighted that the UK/Nigeria partnership continues to grow stronger, including on important issues of security and stability. The UK will remain a committed friend, working with the Nigerian Government to respond effectively to domestic and regional security challenges.
“The UK’s Conflict, Security, and Stability Fund offers practical assistance that is making a real difference in Nigeria, from tackling human traffickers to supporting the resettlement of people fleeing violent groups in the northeast of the country. The UK is proud to stand with Nigeria as a close partner in these endeavours.
“We look forward to developing our partnership further, working together to tackle mutual challenges including cyber threats, serious organised crime, and violent extremism.”
Bolstering Nigeria’s and other West African countries’ resilience to cybercrime is a central aim of the UK’s investment in the region.
Last year, the UK contributed funding to the Africa Joint Operations Against Cybercrime and strengthened the capability of African law enforcement agencies to fight cybercrime. The funding enabled the 25-country Africa Cyber Surge II operation, resulting in the arrest of 14 suspected cybercriminals and identified 20,674 suspicious cyber networks, linked to financial losses of more than $40 million.
The UK is also supporting capacity building for Nigerian judges and prosecutors across Nigerian states to support investigations involving digital evidence and to successfully prosecute and deter cyber offences.
During the recent UK-Nigeria Security & Defence Partnership talks, the UK Deputy National Security Advisor and the Nigerian National Security Advisor signed a memorandum of understanding on cyber cooperation that commits the two nations to closer working to tackle mutual cyber threats.
Further support from the UK this year will integrate overseas and UK security and further tackle transnational challenges such as smuggling, illicit finances and large-scale migration. It will strengthen the UK’s ability to export world-leading expertise to international partners such as Nigeria and other West African countries.
