British High Commissioner to Nigeria Catriona Laing has very deep concerns about the deteriorating security situation in the country, promising that the UK government was seriously considering helping Nigeria win its fight against insecurity.
According to Laing the UK is worried about the recent turn of events in Africa’s most populous country; ‘We are extremely concerned about the deteriorating security situation.
‘I mean, Nigeria is facing a lot of problems everywhere – in the Northeast, terrorism; in the Northwest, banditry, kidnapping; in the Middle Belt, the farmers-herders conflict; in the South, the Niger Delta conflict everywhere.
‘And the secession movements in the Southeast. So, Nigeria is really struggling’, Liang noted. Laing expressed these views while speaking to journalists on the sidelines of a reception held to welcome home the 2019/2020 UK Chevening Scholarship beneficiaries.
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Laing said the UK government had been helping the Nigerian military in the areas of training, campaign planning, and how to counter IEDs.
‘Well, we are here to support and help. We have the military team here, who came here after the Chibok girls were kidnapped actually. We are still here, training the Nigerian military, helping them to do campaign planning, how to counter IEDs,’ said the High Commissioner.
Speaking further she said the recent visit of the UK’s Minister of Armed Forces, during which he interacted with the Nigerian Government at the highest level, including the Service Chiefs, also showed the commitment of the UK govt. Laing, however, urged the Nigerian government to be a bit more precise about the support they needed from the UK and what the UK can offer.
‘So, we are here for a long time. This is a Nigerian partnership. Your insecurity becomes our insecurity if we don’t help you tackle it. So, we are here and we are trying to do our best to support you,’ the envoy said.
Commending the Chevening Programme, Lang said it was an initiative by the UK government aimed at preparing future leaders, who would not only excel in academic qualifications but be ready to return to their respective countries to give back. She disclosed that Nigeria already had 1,300 Chevening alumni, currently occupying important positions in power, thereby providing the UK with both access and influence.
The feedback had been fantastic as Chevening alumni were in top professions and were working together and supporting each other, she noted.
AFRICA DAILY NEWS, NEW YORK
