UK envoy ends Kwara visit, seeks stronger ties

n n

The British Deputy High Commissioner to Nigeria, Gill Lever, has concluded a three-day visit to Kwara State aimed at strengthening economic cooperation, women’s inclusion, innovation, and security partnerships between the United Kingdom and Nigeria.

n

The visit, held between May 11 and 13, included meetings with Governor AbdulRahman AbdulRazaq, the First Lady of Kwara State, Prof. Olufolake AbdulRazaq, civil society groups, religious leaders, and security officials.

n

Lever also visited the Ilorin Innovation Hub, the Olufolake Safe Haven, and the Sexual Assault Referral Centre at Sobi Specialist Hospital, while paying a courtesy visit to the Emir of Ilorin, Alhaji Ibrahim Sulu-Gambari.

n

The British envoy’s visit comes weeks after President Bola Tinubu’s state visit to the United Kingdom in March 2026, described as the first by a Nigerian President in 37 years.

n

The visit reportedly secured a £746m ports agreement and strengthened economic and security cooperation between both countries.

n

During discussions with AbdulRazaq, Lever explored opportunities for expanding economic ties and job creation in Kwara through the UK-supported Manufacturing Africa programme.

n

According to her, the programme is currently supporting two Kwara-based firms, Bespoke Design Concepts and Bacita Sugar Company, with technical assistance to attract investment, expand operations, and create jobs.

n

The Deputy High Commissioner also highlighted the United Kingdom’s Developing Countries Trading Scheme, which offers duty-free or reduced-tariff access for about 3,000 Nigerian products into the UK market.

n

She identified shea butter, cashew, and sesame as key agricultural products in which Kwara has strong export potential and encouraged the state government to sensitise local producers and exporters to the opportunities available under the scheme.

n

A separate engagement with the First Lady focused on women’s economic empowerment, the Special Seats Bill, and efforts to tackle violence against women and girls.

n

The UK government has supported the Nigerian Governors’ Spouses Forum, currently chaired by Prof. AbdulRazaq, for four consecutive years through technical and financial assistance targeted at combating gender-based violence.

n

During the visit to the Olufolake Safe Haven and the Sexual Assault Referral Centre, Lever received briefings on support services available for vulnerable children and survivors of sexual violence.

n

She stressed the importance of strengthening systems that promote access to justice and protection for women and children.

n

Kwara State has, in recent years, gained national attention for women’s representation in governance following AbdulRazaq’s appointment of women into more than half of cabinet positions.

n

The state also increased female representation in the House of Assembly from zero elected female lawmakers in 2019 to five members by 2023.

n

AbdulRazaq was decorated as a HeForShe Ambassador in 2024 in recognition of his support for gender inclusion.

n

At the Ilorin Innovation Hub, Lever met young innovators and entrepreneurs, particularly women in technology, and announced that the UK would support the hub’s participation at London Tech Week scheduled for June 2026.

n

According to her, the initiative would provide opportunities for innovators from Kwara to connect with investors, business networks, and technology markets in the UK.

n

The Deputy High Commissioner also met with the Kwara State Commissioner of Police, Adekimi Ojo, to discuss security developments and areas of collaboration between Nigeria and the UK on preventive security measures and institutional strengthening.

n

Speaking at the end of the visit, Lever commended the Kwara State Government for its efforts in promoting inclusion and youth development.

n

“Kwara has given us the warmest of welcomes, and it has been genuinely inspiring to see a state that is not just talking about change but delivering it.

n

“AbdulRazaq’s commitment to women’s representation in government is remarkable. Moving from zero elected female officials to a cabinet where women hold roughly half of all positions is the kind of leadership the whole of Nigeria can look to as a model.

n

“When I spent time with the young innovators at the Ilorin Innovation Hub, particularly the young women building technology businesses right here in Kwara, I was reminded of exactly why the UK is so invested in Nigeria’s future,” she said.

n n