Nigeria needs more than bombs and bullets to end insecurity — UK

The British Minister for Africa, James Duddridge, has said the current spate of insecurity in Nigeria is massively complex.
 
He further said there is no partnership from the international community that would resolve the multiplicity of the country’s problems, whether it is Boko Haram insurgency or a number of other issues.

Duddridge disclosed this while responding to questions from journalists in Abuja Wednesday during his courtesy visit to the Minister of Foreign Affairs, Geoffrey Onyeama.

“The situation is massively complex and no partnership is going to resolve the multiplicity of problems whether it is Boko Haram or a number of other issues,” Duddridge said.
 
“In the UK, you have a strong partner across the full gamut of issues. So, it’s not just about intelligence and hard security and military, it’s about societies, it’s about humanitarian support, it’s about education and development partnership.

“It is not an end game, we don’t get to a point where we would say ‘this is the end of our relationship with Nigeria’ because we got what we want, we set a higher bar, we’re long -term partners,” he said.
 
Onyeama had earlier said Nigeria was confronting very difficult challenges, especially the unconventional nature of the fight against Boko Haram insurgency.
 
“It is asymmetrical warfare, and we’re dealing with very difficult situations. We have an intelligence fusion unit with our partners -the US, UK, France,’’ Onyeama said.
 
He said Nigeria was struggling with unemployment and high inflation level, but that the country was gradually overcoming the situation.
 
He lauded the British government for all the support given to Nigeria to combat her diverse challenges, especially in the North-East.