BEVERLY HILLS, March 31, (THEWILL) – British High Commissioner to Nigeria, Catriona Laing, has expressed worries at the deteriorating security situation in the country, pledging that the UK government was keen on helping Nigeria win the fight against insecurity.
“We are extremely concerned about the deteriorating security situation,” Laing said, while speaking to journalists on the sidelines of a reception held to welcome home the 2019/2020 UK Chevening Scholarship beneficiaries.
She said: “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 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,” Laing said.
She further 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 with the service chiefs, also showed the commitment of the UK government.
Laing, however, urged the Nigerian government to be a bit more precise about the support needed from the UK.
“So, we are here for the 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.
The Chairperson, Nigerian Diaspora Commission, Abike Dabiri-Erewa, urged the Chevening scholarship beneficiaries to impart the knowledge and skills they gained into Nigeria’s development.
Dabiri-Erewa, who was represented by Sule Bassi, Secretary of the Commission, appreciated the UK government for the scholarship opportunity many Nigerians had benefited from.
“Your return to Nigeria should make a meaningful impact, as you are expected to contribute your own quota to Nigeria’s development and polity,” Dabiri-Erewa said.
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