Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what recent representations he has made to his Nigerian counterpart on the violence involving farmers and herders in the Nigerian Middle-Belt region.

Intercommunal violence in Nigeria has had a devastating impact on communities across multiple states. The UK Government has engaged closely with the Nigerian Federal Government, state governments, international partners and the National Economic Council to help address the drivers of intercommunal violence and push for solutions. The UK Deputy National Security Adviser, David Quarrey, and other senior HMG officials discussed the issue with the former Chief of Staff in January.

The FCO and Wilton Park hosted a joint conference on 'Fostering Social Cohesion in Nigeria' in February. Attendees included representatives from the Nigerian Government. The discussion focused on the complex causes of conflict and explored solutions: a full report from the conference has now been published.

The British High Commissioner and her team are increasing their engagement with state governments in affected states. For example, a team visited Plateau State in December to discuss the situation with the Governor, Christian and Muslim faith leaders, organisations working on reconciliation, and communities displaced by the violence.