By Lizzy Okoji
United Kingdom Minister For Armed Forces, James Heappey, on Tuesday said Britain is committed to improving intelligence sharing with Nigeria and other countries to tackle terrorism and piracy in Lake Chad Basin and Gulf of Guinea.
Heappey made this known while speaking with journalists at the British High Commission on Tuesday in Abuja.
He said that UK would support countries within the region to provide their own solutions to the security challenges.
Heappey said that UK and Nigerian armed forces enjoyed a long and strong relationship, stressing that the conversation was focused on the security challenges in the region.
“The reality is that we have an opportunity to improve our intelligence sharing and capability in surveillance and reconnaissance is really important.
“The UK can support countries within the region to provide their own solutions to their problems. The fact that intelligence relationship is so immature is a concern, but is also an opportunity.
“The reason our armed forces remain so close is that the relationship is being renewed again and again since independence because we have worked together to address challenges like maritime insecurity in the Gulf of Guinea or terrorism in the Lake Chad basin and we will continue to do so.
“Now, a lot of that is connected to training together, sharing tactics and techniques,” Heappey said.
He also noted that both countries have collaborated in naval operations with the UK Royal Navy providing support to Nigeria with a combination of training and developing capability together in the Gulf of Guinea.
He added that both countries would continue to strengthen efforts against insecurity.
“We are in a constant conversation, we need to collaborate to fight the spread of violence in the Sahel, the growing instability in Burkina Faso, the continuing violence in the Lake Chad Basin and the rise of Islamic State In West Africa (ISWAP),” he said. (NAN)
