By NEWSCOUNT Desk
President of the Senate, Godswill Akpabio, has called for stronger parliamentary relations between Nigeria and the United Kingdom, with particular emphasis on legislative cooperation, exchange programmes and capacity building.
Akpabio made the call on Wednesday in Abuja when the British High Commissioner to Nigeria, Mr Peter Vowles, paid him a courtesy visit in his office.
The Senate President acknowledged the longstanding historical ties between both countries, noting that their relationship had endured through different periods and should be sustained and expanded to deliver greater benefits in trade, economic development and parliamentary practice.
“The history of Nigeria will not be complete without the United Kingdom. For us in Nigeria, London is like a second home,” Akpabio said.
He explained that the historical relationship extended beyond cultural connections to economic and trade relations, adding that Nigeria had much to learn from the British parliamentary system, particularly in legislation.
Akpabio called for more structured exchanges between lawmakers and parliamentary institutions in both countries to strengthen legislative processes and improve institutional cooperation.
“We want to deepen our relationship. We want to be able to have a lot of exchange programmes that will enable us to learn more and expand the relationship between Nigerian Parliament as a whole and the United Kingdom in the area of legislation,” he said.
He noted that members of the British House of Commons occasionally visited Nigeria to observe proceedings of the National Assembly, while Nigerian parliamentary committees had also visited the British House of Lords and House of Commons.
According to him, such engagements provided opportunities for lawmakers to share experiences, learn from established legislative practices and strengthen cooperation between the two parliaments.
The Senate President also referred to the recent state visit of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu to the United Kingdom, commending King Charles III for the reception accorded the Nigerian President and his entourage.
Akpabio said the reception demonstrated the importance the British monarch attached to Nigeria, not only because of its population but also its strategic relevance to Africa’s economic development and security.
“The King was very nice to us. He recognises till today the importance of Nigeria not just in terms of population but the strategic importance of Nigeria to the economic and security of the entire Africa. The ties between Nigeria and the UK must be sustained,” he said.
Beyond parliamentary cooperation, Akpabio urged British investors to explore opportunities in Nigeria’s oil and mining sectors, assuring them that the country offered prospects for profitable investments.
He encouraged the High Commissioner to convey the message to investors in the United Kingdom, pointing to opportunities in Nigeria’s business environment and the measures introduced to facilitate investment.
“As you are here now, you will take the message back to your investors in the UK that this is a country that even if you sell sand, you will make profit,” Akpabio said.
He added that the investment climate had been made easier, particularly in the areas of doing business and repatriating investment proceeds.
Earlier, Vowles said he visited to convey his warm regards to the leadership of the Nigerian Parliament and to underscore the breadth and depth of relations between Nigeria and the United Kingdom.
He explained that his government was committed to finding ways to strengthen the existing partnership and build on the progress already made in bilateral relations.
“The instruction from my government is to find a way to continue to deepen that relationship. We believe that we have made a very important stride together. We want to continue to drive that further together,” the High Commissioner said.
Vowles acknowledged the longstanding relationship between the United Kingdom and Nigeria’s National Assembly, comprising the Senate and the House of Representatives, and assured the Nigerian Parliament of continued British support and partnership where required.
“We have a long standing relationship with the National Assembly, both houses. We will continue to partner with you where you require UK support and partnership,” he said.
