Foreign Affairs Minister, UK Explore Investment, Security Cooperation
Nigeria’s Minister of Foreign Affairs, Ambassador Yusuf Maitama Tuggar, has successfully completed a three-day working visit to the United Kingdom aimed at reinforcing diplomatic and economic ties between both nations.
The visit, which took place from March 3 to 5, 2025, focused on trade, investment, technology, security, media, and academia.
Ambassador Tuggar engaged in a series of high-level meetings with UK officials, financial institutions, policymakers, and media executives, underscoring the growing partnership between Nigeria and the UK.
A key highlight of the visit was bilateral talks with the UK Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth, and Development Affairs, David Lammy.
The discussions at Wilton Park centered on enhancing economic collaboration, strengthening security ties, and fostering innovation-driven growth.
Additionally, Amb. Tuggar met with UK Home Secretary Yvette Cooper to discuss crucial areas under the Nigeria-UK Migration, Justice, and Home Affairs Dialogue.
Their talks covered strategies to combat transnational crime, streamline migration processes, and enhance judicial cooperation—a move aimed at reinforcing security and legal ties between both nations.
According to Alkasim Abdulkadir, Special Assistant on Media and Communications Strategy to the Minister, the visit was deeply aligned with President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s broader foreign policy agenda.
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He stated: “Ambassador Tuggar’s visit underscores Nigeria’s commitment to reinforcing diplomatic relations with key global partners. His engagements were not merely symbolic but aimed at achieving tangible outcomes in line with President Tinubu’s ‘4-D Foreign Policy Agenda’—Democracy, Development, Diaspora, and Defence.”
Nigeria remains one of the UK’s largest trading partners in Africa, and Tuggar’s visit included high-level discussions with British lawmakers and policymakers at the House of Commons.
These discussions focused on expanding trade, increasing foreign investment, and strengthening financial collaboration.
As part of Nigeria’s economic diversification drive, Amb. Tuggar also held meetings with senior executives from JP Morgan and British International Investment (BII) to attract investments in infrastructure, energy, technology, and agriculture.
In a bid to strengthen Nigeria’s international narrative, Tuggar engaged with media executives at BBC House in London.
He emphasized Nigeria’s economic potential, investment-friendly climate, and efforts to tackle security challenges.
“Strengthening Nigeria’s global narrative remains a key component of the Foreign Minister’s outreach strategy,” Abdulkadir said.
Security was another critical aspect of the visit. Amb. Tuggar held bilateral discussions with senior UK officials focused on counterterrorism, intelligence-sharing, and military cooperation.
Given Nigeria’s ongoing fight against insurgency and organized crime, both nations explored ways to enhance intelligence-sharing mechanisms and strengthen Nigeria’s security forces.
On the education front, the Foreign Affairs Minister also met with top UK academic institutions, including the University of Cambridge and the African Centre.
Talks centered on expanding educational exchange programs, increasing scholarships for Nigerian students, and fostering collaborative research initiatives.
