Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what steps his Department has taken to help bring about a cessation to violence in Nigeria.

We are concerned by increasing insecurity in Nigeria. Intercommunal violence across multiple states continues to have a devastating impact on local communities. We engage closely with the federal government, state governments, international partners and the National Economic Council to push for solutions that address the root causes of intercommunal violence. For example, the UK provided technical support to help develop a National Livestock Transformation Plan (NLTP). The NLTP sets out a long-term approach to transition towards more sedentary forms of cattle-rearing to address competition over land: one of the root causes of intercommunal violence. The plan is being implemented in eight Middle Belt states. A number of other states have expressed interest and we are encouraging their adoption of the plan. We will continue to encourage the Nigerian Government to take urgent action to protect those at risk of intercommunal violence, bring perpetrators to justice and implement long-term solutions that address the root causes of the violence.

For over a decade, violence in North East Nigeria, conducted by terrorist groups, including Boko Haram and Islamic State West Africa, has also had a devastating impact on local communities. We are committed to helping Nigeria respond to the terrorist threat in the North East. We provide a comprehensive package of security, humanitarian and stabilisation assistance to Nigeria to help tackle the threat and support affected communities.