British PM, Theresa May, signs security pact with Nigeria

British Prime Minister, Theresa May, is on a three-day trip to Africa, and arrived in Nigeria yesterday (after visiting South Africa earlier, with Kenya to follow).

Battling Boko Haram

According to The Guardian, a summit was held between May and President Muhammadu Buhari, where a security partnership was signed between the two. The partnership  has the objective of curbing the activities of terrorist group, Boko Haram, and will introduce better military training. The training, sponsored by the UK, will assist the Nigerian military in defusing explosive devices and will perform oversight functions for army units before deployment to the north-east. It will also stop the recruitment of Boko Haram members by pushing anti-terrorist narratives in communities and will fund educational programmes for children affected by the conflict. This is in line with May’s vision of supporting African nations under threat from terrorism.

“We are determined to work side by side with Nigeria to help them fight terrorism, reduce conflict and lay the foundations for the future stability and prosperity that will benefit us all.” — May (The Guardian)

The partnership is the first of it’s kind between the two nations and is a welcome development. It will further weaken the hold of Boko Haram in north east Nigeria.