What is the future for the UK’s development partnership with Nigeria? MPs begin inquiry
On Tuesday, MPs on the International Development Committee will consider the future of the UK’s development partnership with Nigeria, in the first session of a new inquiry.
The Committee will hear evidence from humanitarian and development NGOs working in Nigeria, as it considers what shape the UK’s relationship with the country – described as a “rising power” in the National Security Strategy – should take.
The UK has recently sought to reset its development partnership with Nigeria. In the Nigeria-UK Strategic Partnership, agreed in November 2024, the two countries agreed to focus on strengthening Nigeria’s institutions and its own development programmes alongside continuing UK aid spending.
While Nigeria has a growing and dynamic economy, it still faces persistent development challenges. Particularly in the north of the country, its citizens face insecurity, climate vulnerability, unemployment, and gaps in essential services. Recent weeks have seen several abductions of children from schools.
Meeting details
In the first panel, MPs will ask witnesses about Nigeria’s humanitarian needs and how these have been affected by aid cuts, as well as how the UK can further localise its aid spending.
In the second panel, the Committee will consider work to reduce instability and promote peacebuilding in Nigeria. MPs are likely to ask how the UK-Nigeria partnership could be strengthened, and how the country’s political structures and governance challenges impact the work of NGOs.