Implementing the Integrated Review in Nigeria

The Integrated Review is right in its identification of Nigeria as an important strategic partner for the UK. We would go further to assert that the success (or otherwise) of the UK’s engagement with Nigeria, and its ability to take opportunities which emerge in the four priority areas of the Integrated Review whilst rising to meet new and future challenges, is likely to carry lessons applicable to engagement with other African countries.

Awareness of the interconnected nature of Nigeria’s business, governance, security and natural environments is vital at every stage of policy making. The FCDO is well placed to play an oversight role, ensuring UK Government initiatives in one area are not undermined by lack of attention in another.

The UK’s approach in Nigeria should be one that is defined by detailed and coherent long-term engagement. Yet it should be sufficiently agile to take advantage of new opportunities. As the FCDO makes difficult decisions on programme activities over the coming years, particularly those funded through Official Development Assistance, careful attention should be paid to ensuring the High Commission is able to be proactive and responsive rather than simply reactive. It is vital that UK partners and scrutiny bodies understand the aims and strategy of the UK in Nigeria in order to carry out their work as effectively as possible: In the next six months we recommend that the FCDO develop and publish an integrated delivery plan for Nigeria detailing how the aspirations of the Integrated Review will be executed in Nigeria. There should be realistic and measurable objectives for UK policy in Nigeria over the next five to ten years with clear activities and policies, and the plan should set out the resources required and which Government departments will be responsible for delivering them.

Issues surrounding the colonial legacy of the UK in Nigeria should be delicately addressed through meaningful dialogue. We recommend that the FCDO should be proactive in encouraging dialogue around any aspects of the UK’s colonial legacy, including the future of the Benin Bronzes, which the Nigerian Government feel are yet to be addressed.

The enthusiasm of the Nigerian community in the UK to engage with their country of origin provides an opportunity for the UK Government to trial initiatives to work with diaspora groups from other countries where there are overlapping interests. We recommend that the FCDO make the most of the enthusiasm for engagement amongst the Nigerian community to test various ways of involving diaspora groups in diplomacy. For example: a) Ad-hoc focus groups should be convened for contextual input on UK Government policy relating to Nigeria, particularly those relating to issues such as support for Small and Medium Sized Enterprises and those engaging in the creative arts space. 38 Lagos calling: Nigeria and the Integrated Review b) A means be provided whereby Nigerians living in the UK can engage with the Strategic Communications Platform for peacebuilding in the North East of Nigeria, and other such engagement platforms as they arise. (Paragraph 12) Sustaining strategic advantage in science and technology

As an emerging science and technology hub in Africa, Nigeria presents opportunities for the UK Government to make progress toward its priority of securing strategic advantage through science and technology. Investment in businesses and capacity development in the IT sector also has the potential to bring benefits to the people of Nigeria in terms of employment and access to life-transforming technologies as well as improving the dynamism of the rest of the economy. To stimulate diaspora investment in Nigerian small and medium sized tech enterprises the UK Government needs to adopt an approach that builds capacity across the whole tech ecosystem. We recommend that the FCDO prioritise UK Government capacity building support to the Nigerian legal system and legal services for business in Nigeria. Such support will allow UK investors to capitalise on the similarities in corporate law between the two countries as well as de-risking investments.

The UK Government should be more proactive in initiating programmes that build the capacity of the Nigerian IT workforce. Such programmes have the potential to be beneficial to both countries. We recommend the FCDO lead a pilot skills development programme within the ICT sector that aims to address skills shortages in both Nigeria and the UK. This initiative, requiring close collaboration with other Government departments including the Home Office and BEIS, would be an approach that actively seeks to reduce the chance of a brain drain scenario by ensuring that a proportion of trainees are being trained for jobs they will fill in Nigeria. We recommend that the FCDO ensures in all such programmes rural areas are not sidelined and that candidates from these areas are enabled to participate.

The FCDO could support the Nigerian civil service by creating opportunities for the Nigerian Government to make the most of future skills development programmes: a) including a quota for trainees in the ICT skills development programme who will return to join the Nigerian civil service at both state and federal level as well as ensuring geographical distribution of trainees from northern and southern states. This programme should be complemented by appropriate FCDO support for NGOs and arms-length bodies currently building capacity in the Civil Service, as well as technology provision, to enable application of newly acquired skills; b) ensuring the Chevening Scholarship programme has a quota of scholars from the public sector of Nigeria for at least the next three years.

Electricity provision is key to the development of Nigerian businesses. We recognise the priority the UK Government has put on this sector and encourage increased attention be paid here.

The UK Government, through the merger of DFID and the FCO, aims to use Official Development Assistance (ODA) more effectively to contribute toward wider foreign policy goals. This aim has been undermined by the cuts to research and Lagos calling: Nigeria and the Integrated Review 39 training programmes in the science and technology sectors, which are ultimately detrimental to both the UK and Nigeria. We recommend that the Government sets out a clear and coherent approach (including how it will be funded) to its partnership with Nigeria on research and training for science and technology in the integrated delivery plan.

The UK-Nigeria Tech hub is an innovative solution that has the potential to benefit UK and Nigerian businesses through the exposure of entrepreneurs to would-be investors, peer mentoring and training. The lessons learnt here have the potential to be applied to other situations on the continent. To maximise the effectiveness of this programme we recommend the FCDO champion the role of the UK-Nigeria Tech Hub by: a) ring-fencing funding; b) encouraging collaboration with other government initiatives, such as the Climate Finance Accelerator, to build capacity in the Nigerian finance sector helping green tech start-ups secure seed investment from local sources; c) working across Whitehall to better understand the barriers to SME investment in Africa and how to address them. (Paragraph 33) Strengthening Security at Home and Abroad

Nigeria’s security matters to the UK. Evidence described four significant security situations which make daily life in many parts of the country dangerous and sap the resources of the security services. Some of these crises, we heard, have the potential to threaten the very existence of the Nigerian state. These crises exacerbate levels of unregulated migration to the UK, the risks of doing business in Nigeria and the conditions in which international terrorism can be fomented. We recognise the importance of integrating diplomacy, aid and trade, as well as tangible military support, in addressing these issues. We recommend continued, highly focused, support to the Nigerian military in tackling Islamist groups and armed organised criminal groups whilst maintaining the highest standards of human rights. We recommend that this effort continues to go hand-in-hand with targeted overseas development assistance and investment to tackle the underlying causes of the conflict. (Paragraph 36) Building resilience at home and overseas

What is needed to support Nigeria in its efforts to reduce CO2 emissions and adapt to its impacts is a package of targeted investment in both tangibles and intangibles which addresses multiple issues simultaneously. Interventions which will bear the most fruit for citizens of Nigeria and the UK will be characterised by their provision of cash to finance sustainable infrastructure investment in green innovations, and a long-term commitment to Nigeria to help embed the change.

We welcome the collaboration the Prince of Wales has given to the Great Green Wall initiative through the Sustainable Markets Initiative. The UK Government, however, is not as engaged as it could be in initiatives, such as the Great Green Wall, 40 Lagos calling: Nigeria and the Integrated Review that take a holistic and integrated approach to climate adaptation and mitigation— addressing multiple causes and effects of climate change simultaneously. This is despite the shared benefits for the UK and Nigeria on the ground, as well as the potential for addressing the root causes of more proximate issues to the UK, such as terrorism and illegal immigration, and to Nigeria, such as conflict and food insecurity. To maintain a coherent approach, and to maximise the benefits of the multiple initiatives to raise finance and build capacity for projects, we recommend that the FCDO champion Nigerian-led international climate initiatives with a broader holistic vision, such as the Great Green Wall, contributing where the UK can add value. There are opportunities for the FCDO to bring together its expertise in diplomacy, aid and trade to support these efforts as well as supporting UK NGOs already engaged at African Union level. One such action could include convening multilateral bodies and grass roots groups to aid greater collaboration toward delivery and measurement of trans-national projects. The FCDO’s approach should be outlined in the integrated delivery plan.

We welcome the part the UK Government has played in involving the private sector in climate finance. We also recognise the breadth of support it offers to those wishing to make sustainable investments in Nigeria. However, the picture of multiple focal points and inconsistent policy decisions suggest that there is room for improvement. We heard how changes in Government aid spending had translated to cuts in green infrastructure development investment, putting the UK at a disadvantage. These create yet more uncertainty for investors. To stay competitive and to make rapid progress toward the goals of the Paris agreement, there is scope for the UK Government to streamline its approach: a) We recommend a review of the support of the various DFIs by the Government as well as their methodologies and mandates. Specifically: i) How DFIs can enter the project development process at an earlier stage to provide initial project development funding. ii) How investment risk thresholds for DFIs can be lowered and how to ensure target percentage rates of return can be used to encourage the support of riskier projects. iii) How the time taken to process project proposals can be reduced without compromising due diligence. iv) How the culture of DFIs can be more accessible to the private sector community whilst ensuring positive development outcomes–the desire to maintain a strong link between project outcomes and development outcomes must not present a barrier to the delivery of sustainable projects. b) We recommend that the mandates of enabling UK Government programmes are sufficiently flexible to adjust to the results of feasibility studies and changes in the project design–rather than requiring developers to shift to a different programme; and that investment initiatives which have flexible project funding pots be prioritised. (Paragraph 42) Lagos calling: Nigeria and the Integrated Review 41

The record of UK Government returning embezzled funds from the City of London to Nigeria and in holding those responsible to account has been disappointing. The issues of London being used in the chain of corrupt wealth will be explored in more detail in our forthcoming inquiry on illicit finance.

We welcome the innovative steps the UK Government has taken to support Nigeria’s transition to a low carbon economy. However, we believe there is scope for higher ambition in its goals and greater clarity in its approach. We recommend the UK Government works with other international partners to support Nigeria’s transition to a low carbon economy. Learning from other initiatives, we recommend that the Government works with the Nigerian Government in a renewed effort to facilitate UK private sector financial support of low carbon ventures such as renewable power solutions and the establishment of the Nigerian green tech sector. (Paragraph 44) Shaping the international global order of the future

Investment in, and support for, Nigerian creative arts bring social and economic benefits for Nigerians. Investment builds on the UK’s soft power as a champion of the arts, helping maintain its position as a leader in the worldwide music industry. We recommend the FCDO support the development of the Afrobeats genre, and other Nigerian creative arts, through: a) Funding proposed projects and broadcasters, such as the BBC World Service, aimed at extending the access of Nigerian creative arts to a wider audience. b) Supporting initiatives aiming to use the creative arts as a tool for reconciliation, development and empowerment in Nigerian society. Such initiatives should seek to support emerging artists from disadvantaged backgrounds and the approach should be outlined in the integrated delivery plan for Nigeria. c) Championing cross-government policies that encourage the cultural exchange between the UK and Nigeria including a track to make it easier for Nigerian musicians to perform in the UK as well as support for creative artists in maintaining the intellectual property rights over their work. The FCDO could consider initiating a UK-Nigeria Creative Arts Hub with DCMS that would allow for greater collaboration between artists. It could also facilitate access for artists to UK organisations which assist in development and training.

We applaud the important work undertaken by the British Council in promoting greater cultural ties and building on soft power assets. Similarly, the BBC World Service provides both a voice into, and a voice out of Nigeria, communicating British and Nigerian values and interests. We recommend that British Council funding for programmes that demonstrate synergy with the aspirations of the Integrated Review is ring-fenced. Funding for the BBC World Service should be sufficient to ensure that it remains the most popular and reliable source of accurate news and current affairs in Nigeria, as well as a relevant means of promoting cultural exchange.

The Integrated Review defines the aspirations for Global Britain as being a force for good that supports open societies and defends human rights. We recognise that the understanding of these is one that is shared by the Buhari Government, which 42 Lagos calling: Nigeria and the Integrated Review has committed to improving Nigeria’s human rights record. We have received evidence that there are still concerns from civil society that abuses and inaction by Government forces constitute a concern for the upholding of human rights. Within Nigerian society there are still concerning allegations of human rights abuses against minority groups, control of the media, and citizen surveillance. We welcome the UK Government’s efforts to support the Nigerian Government as they address these issues and in practice recommend this should mean the following: a) Ring-fencing support to projects that assist the Nigerian Government in its efforts to promote human rights; and speaking out when rights are abused. b) The integrated delivery plan should include concrete steps for how the UK Government will support the Nigerian Government in promoting freedom of religion and belief, as well as preventing violence against women and girls, across their engagement activities in Nigeria.

The Commonwealth presents a significant opportunity as the UK looks to strengthen ties with Nigeria and other African partners. The foundation of common history and the desire for greater reciprocity should not be taken for granted nor be overlooked as the UK Government seeks to deepen cultural and economic ties. We recommend that the UK Government place the Commonwealth at the front and centre of their multilateral approach to diplomacy, trade and cultural exchange with regard to Nigeria. (Paragraph 52) Lagos calling: Nigeria and the Integrated Review 43