New Delhi: The UK Minister of Defence for the House of Lords, Lord Vernon Coaker, has reaffirmed the United Kingdom’s commitment to bolstering security cooperation with Nigeria.
Lord Coaker, who was in Abuja and Maiduguri this week, met with top defence and security officials, including the Minister of Defence, the Minister of State for Defence, the Chief of Defence Training and Operations, the National Security Adviser and the President of the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS).
Their discussions centred around reaffirming the UK’s commitment to the existing Security and Defence Partnership between the two nations, as well as addressing shared security concerns in the region. These meetings highlighted Nigeria and ECOWAS’ ongoing leadership in promoting regional security and the UK’s commitment to supporting Nigeria’s security priorities.
In Maiduguri, Borno State, a focal point of Nigeria’s fight against terrorism and violent extremism, Lord Coaker visited a Disarmament, Demobilization and Reintegration camp (DDR). He also observed UK-led counter-improvised explosive device (C-ED) training, funded by the UK Integrated Security Fund, aimed at enhancing the capacity of Nigerian forces to respond to security threats. Nigeria requested an initiative to boost capacity and response capabilities against security threats and instability.
The Minister expressed his satisfaction with the progress made and reaffirmed the UK’s commitment to supporting Nigeria’s security objectives.
“This visit reflects the UK’s steadfast commitment to working with Nigeria to tackle shared security challenges,” Lord Coaker said. “Witnessing the results of our training programmes and engaging directly with those on the frontlines reaffirms the importance of our partnership in building a safer and more stable region.”
Lord Coaker’s visit underscores the importance of the UK-Nigeria Security and Defence Partnership (SDP) ahead of its third dialogue in 2025.