Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:

To ask the Minister of State, Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office, what recent assessment he has made of the state of relations between the UK and Nigeria.

The relationship between the UK and Nigeria is built on shared history, Commonwealth co-operation, people to people connections and educational links. As Africa's largest economy and democracy, Nigeria is a priority partner. By 2050, Nigeria will be the world's third most populous country. Ensuring Nigeria is stable, secure and prosperous, is critically important to achieving the Sustainable Development Goals. During our annual Security and Defence Partnership dialogue with Nigeria in February 2024, we discussed strengthening our practical support to defend against security threats. UK trade with Nigeria was worth £6.7 billion in the four quarters to the end of Q3 2023. President Tinubu's recent macroeconomic reforms have the potential to encourage further economic investment and trade.