The United Kingdom has reaffirmed its commitment to supporting ongoing efforts to strengthen security, peacebuilding and institutional resilience in Nigeria.
A high-level event began on Tuesday in Abuja, organised by the Strengthening Peace and Resilience in Nigeria (SPRiNG) Programme, which brought together senior government officials, security agencies, programme partners, and civil society leaders to review evidence-based strategies to reduce violence, institutionalise peace, and strengthen climate resilience across northern Nigeria.
Funded by the UK Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office (FCDO), the two-day event provided a platform to assess SPRiNG’s progress, examine evolving conflict and climate change dynamics, and integrate lessons learned into future policy and programme planning.
Delivering keynote remarks, the British High Commissioner to Nigeria, Dr Richard Montgomery, emphasised the importance of peace and resilience to UK-Nigeria bilateral relations, describing security cooperation as central to the partnership between both countries.
“I can’t think of any topic that is more topical given recent events and international commentary on Nigeria. This issue is absolutely central to our partnership with Nigeria and the work of the British High Commission,” Montgomery said.
He highlighted Nigeria’s growing strategic importance to the United Kingdom, noting that its influence would continue to expand in the coming decades due to population growth and regional leadership.
“Nigeria is one of our important diplomatic partners. Our judgment is that Nigeria’s influence will only grow. That is why our foreign secretaries signed the UK-Nigeria Strategic Partnership in 2024,” he added.
Montgomery explained that security cooperation under the partnership combines both kinetic and non-kinetic approaches, including institutional support to government agencies, community-based initiatives, law enforcement, and resilience-building efforts.
“SPRiNG provides a vehicle — a platform — for partners to access catalytic support and build relationships that strengthen these approaches,” he said.
The event also featured remarks from a representative of the Coordinator of the National Counter-Terrorism Centre, Major General A.G. Laka, with discussions highlighting SPRiNG’s shift from ad-hoc peace interventions to strengthening durable institutional systems and mechanisms for long-term stability.
The Minister of Information and National Orientation, Alhaji Mohammed Idris Malagi, whose representative formally declared the event open, stressed the role of strategic communication and inter-agency collaboration in enhancing national security.
Representatives of the Minister of Women Affairs and Social Development, Hajiya Imaan Suleiman-Ibrahim, and the Minister of Livestock Development, Alhaji Idi Mukhtar Maiha, underscored the link between gender inclusion, agropastoral livelihoods and sustainable security outcomes.
In a context-setting presentation, SPRiNG Team Leader Dr Ukoha Ukiwo said the programme’s strength lies in its evidence-driven, adaptive management approach.
“Conflict is dynamic, and our solutions must be too. Our focus is ensuring that interventions are not reactive but structurally preventive,” Ukiwo said.
A high-level panel moderated by Kemi Okenyedo examined progress in strengthening peace and resilience. Panellists included the Director-General of the Benue State Commission for Peace and Reconciliation, Ms Josephine Habba; Kaduna State Commissioner for Internal Security, Dr Sulaiman Shuaibu; and Ms Lantana Abdullahi of WOPPI, who called for the formal inclusion of women in peace and security frameworks.
The event concluded with a Project Fair showcasing practical “peace dividends” being delivered to communities across Benue, Kaduna, Katsina and Plateau states.
The SPRiNG Programme is a four-year initiative (2024–2028) funded by the FCDO and implemented by Tetra Tech International Development in partnership with Nextier SPD, the Centre for Democracy and Development (CDD) and the Centre for Humanitarian Dialogue (HD).
It aims to strengthen institutional capacity for conflict management, boost public confidence in key institutions, and create greater incentives for peace in Nigeria.