Nigeria and the United Kingdom have signed a series of new agreements covering port modernisation, migration, border security and business mobility as part of efforts to deepen economic and security cooperation .
At the centre of the deals is a £746 million infrastructure agreement to upgrade Apapa and Tin Can Island ports in Lagos, Nigeria’s busiest seaports, which was signed at Lancaster House in London .
Minister of Finance and Coordinating Minister of the Economy Wale Edun signed on behalf of Nigeria, while UK Minister for Small Business and Economic Transformation Blair McDougall signed for the British government .
Edun said the port deal aligns with President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s priorities on infrastructure, energy and industrial development under the Renewed Hope Agenda and will help attract investment, create jobs and reduce poverty .
He noted that the agreement reflects growing confidence and mutual trust between both countries and a shared commitment to delivering tangible economic results .
Nigeria and the UK also concluded three key documents on migration and security: a Migration Partnership, Cooperation on Organised Immigration Crime and Border Security, and an agreement on the expansion of business visas for UK companies working with Nigeria .
Minister of Interior Olubunmi Tunji Ojo signed the migration related agreements for Nigeria, describing them as proof of a shared determination to build a safe, orderly and mutually beneficial migration system .
He said Nigeria is committed to a framework that protects its national interests, respects international obligations and tackles abuses of legal migration paths and related criminal activities .
Tunji Ojo said the expanded business visa arrangement will support economic growth, adding that visa policy reforms under the Tinubu administration are being designed as tools to drive trade and broader socio economic development .
He stressed that Nigeria’s ambition to build a trillion dollar economy requires removing barriers to trade, including bottlenecks linked to irregular migration, and pledged that the government will work quickly to implement the new understandings .
UK Home Secretary Shabana Mahmood described the package of agreements as unprecedented in scope and said Nigeria is the first country to conclude such an extensive framework with the UK, underlining its importance in British foreign policy .
She said both countries share a clear vision of what they can achieve together and that the new arrangements will strengthen cooperation on migration management and security .
UK Trade Envoy Florence Eshalomi said the expanded business visa deal offers clear mutual benefits and is a bold step toward stronger growth, especially for Nigeria as one of Africa’s largest economies .
President Tinubu, whose state visit to the UK is the first by a Nigerian leader in 37 years, said the trip provides a fresh platform to deepen long standing ties and build on the institutional development Nigeria has enjoyed over time .
He called for stronger trade agreements and closer economic collaboration, emphasising that Nigeria and Britain can unlock more opportunities by working together .
On the sidelines, National Identity Management Commission Director General Abisoye Coker Odusote said NIMC will expand National Identification Number enrolment centres and improve services for Nigerians in the UK to help them access key services and connect with Nigeria’s digital economy .
She added that NIMC is also intensifying ward level enrolment within Nigeria to reach rural and underserved communities, in line with the federal government’s goal of using digital identity to support growth, social protection and better governance .
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