Catriona Laing, the British high commissioner to Nigeria, has said she’s worried over the country’s failing security situation, despite the country’s help from the UK government.
She said this while speaking in the reception of the homecoming of the 2019/2020 UK Chevening scholarship beneficiaries, adding that the UK government is still keen in its fight against insecurity.
Laing said the UK had been assisting the Nigerian military in training, campaign planning, and how to defuse IEDs.
“We are extremely concerned about the deteriorating security situation,” Laing 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 south-east. So, Nigeria is really struggling.
“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.”
“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,” she said.
Commending the Chevening programme, Lang said it was an initiative by the UK government to prepare future leaders who would excel in academic qualifications and give back to their respective countries.
Praising the Chevening programme, Lang said it one of the UK government initiative to prepare future leaders who would make distinctive mark academically and give back to their respective countries.
She asserts Nigeria already had 1,300 Chevening alumni “currently occupying important positions in power,” thereby providing the UK with both “access and influence”.
