UK Trade Minister, Badenoch, Seeks Deeper Ties With Nigeria

The United Kingdom’s Minister for Business and Trade, Kemi Badenoch, has arrived in Nigeria to begin a three-day visit to deepen the UK-Nigeria partnership, a statement issued on Sunday by the UK mission in Nigeria said.

Following the former Foreign Secretary’s visit to Nigeria in August 2023, and last week’s UK-Nigeria Security and Defence Talks, Minister Badenoch’s visit will take forward ongoing efforts by both countries to boost the UK- Nigeria trade relationship and unlock new investment opportunities.

While in the country, the Nigerian-born Kemi Badenoch and the Prime Minister’s Trade Envoy to Nigeria, Helen Grant will have meetings with the Federal Government, State Governors as well as British and Nigerian business leaders and investors.

Through these meetings, she will explore current and potential investment and trade activities from education to infrastructure and energy projects, with a potential to create thousands of jobs, the statement said.

Minister Badenoch will look to further strengthen the UK-Nigeria partnership, remove barriers to trade and investment, grow business between the two countries, and ensure the City of London’s enabling role for international business is more accessible to Nigeria.

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Commenting on her visit to Nigeria, British High Commissioner to Nigeria, Dr Richard Montgomery said: “Nigeria is one of the UK’s most important partners in Africa. We are committed to helping Nigeria unlock new investment opportunities, supporting more UK and international investment through the City of London, and thereby creating jobs in both our countries.

“Recent big and bold reforms by the Federal Government of Nigeria and the Central Bank are boosting optimism amongst international investors that the country is on the right path and are creating the conditions for growth.”

Kemi Badenoch MP was appointed Secretary of State for the Department for Business and Trade on 7 February 2023. She remains Secretary of State for International Trade and President of the Board of Trade on, which she was appointed to on 6 September 2022, and Minister for Women and Equalities for the Equality Hub, which she was appointed to on 25 October 2022.