Nigeria’s Minister of Foreign Affairs, Ambassador Yusuf Maitama Tuggar, has concluded a high-level visit to the United Kingdom, reinforcing diplomatic, economic, and security ties between both nations.
During his three-day visit from March 3 to 5, Ambassador Tuggar engaged with senior UK officials, financial institutions, academics, and media stakeholders in a series of strategic meetings aimed at deepening cooperation across key sectors.
At Wilton Park, he met with UK Foreign Secretary David Lammy to explore ways of enhancing trade, investment, and security collaboration between Nigeria and the UK. Both leaders discussed strengthening economic ties, boosting innovation-driven growth, and improving bilateral security efforts.
Security and migration were also high on the agenda, as Ambassador Tuggar held talks with UK Home Secretary Yvette Cooper under the Nigeria-UK Migration, Justice, and Home Affairs Dialogue.
The discussions focused on legal migration, security cooperation, and justice reforms, with both countries reaffirming their commitment to tackling transnational crime and enhancing judicial collaboration.
The highlight of the visit was Ambassador Tuggar’s address at Chatham House, where he outlined Nigeria’s evolving foreign policy and its role as a regional leader in Africa.
He emphasised the need for stronger Nigeria-UK cooperation in areas such as climate change, trade, and security.
The Foreign Minister also participated in a high-level roundtable discussion at the House of Commons, engaging with British lawmakers on ways to expand trade and investment opportunities. With Nigeria being one of the UK’s largest trading partners in Africa, discussions centered on encouraging direct foreign investment and enhancing financial collaboration.
To further these goals, Ambassador Tuggar met with senior executives from major financial institutions, including JP Morgan and British International Investment (BII), to attract investment in Nigeria’s infrastructure, energy, and technology sectors.
As part of efforts to improve Nigeria’s global image, Ambassador Tuggar engaged with media executives at BBC House, advocating for a more balanced representation of Nigeria in the international press.
He highlighted the country’s economic potential, investment opportunities, and efforts to address security challenges.
On security, he held bilateral discussions with senior UK officials focused on counterterrorism, intelligence-sharing, and military cooperation.
Both nations explored ways to enhance intelligence-sharing mechanisms and build capacity within Nigeria’s security forces to address insurgency and organized crime.
Education and human capital development were also key priorities, with Ambassador Tuggar meeting representatives from the University of Cambridge and the African Centre to discuss expanding educational exchanges and scholarships for Nigerian students.
The visit aligns with President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s “4-D Foreign Policy Agenda” (Democracy, Development, Diaspora, and Defence), which prioritizes economic diplomacy, regional stability, and global partnerships.
Ambassador Tuggar’s engagements in the UK have set the stage for deeper diplomatic, economic, and security cooperation between the two nations. The agreements and discussions held during his visit are expected to yield increased British investment in Nigeria, stronger security collaboration, and enhanced academic partnerships.
