By Ayo Akinfe
Once Andy Burnham takes the oath of office in September, President Tinubu should become the first foreign leader to visit Downing Street — and he must arrive with a long list of demands. Nigeria’s future depends on bold, uncompromising diplomacy, and Britain remains a partner we cannot afford to ignore.
Our insecurity crisis has spiralled out of control. Nigeria needs a mechanised division of the army trained into a commando unit of special forces, up to the standards of the US Navy SEALs or British SAS. This unit must become the world’s leading force in hostage rescue, and Britain should provide the training.
We also need at least $10 billion invested annually in cattle ranches, dairy plants, animal feed compounders, and leather factories to address the Fulani herdsman crisis. Without this, rural insecurity will continue to cripple productivity.
On power, Nigeria generates only 7,000MW compared to Egypt’s 24,700MW and South Africa’s 58,000MW. Britain must pledge at least $5 billion annually to help us close this gap. Without electricity, industrialisation is impossible.Contracts with British suppliers must come with conditions. Any company awarded Nigerian government contracts worth over $1 million must open a manufacturing facility in Nigeria. Failure to do so should be treated as money laundering. Similarly, British pharmaceutical firms developing tropical vaccines must establish plants in Nigeria to serve Africa.
Britain’s car industry should be offered generous tax rebates to site new-generation electric car factories in Nigeria. Our agricultural strength also demands recognition: Nigeria is a top producer of at least 10 crops and among the top 10 for 50 others. Britain must provide export credits to food processors willing to open plants here.Steel remains our Achilles’ heel. Nigeria produces none, while Britain has the expertise. British steel manufacturers must be offered tax rebates of up to 80% to locate in Nigeria, with urgent commitments to revive our steel plants. Without steel, we will remain perpetually underdeveloped.
Foreign debt is another burden. All debts owed to British creditors should be converted into investment grants. With an annual infrastructure deficit of $100 billion and a budget of just $33 billion, Nigeria cannot afford to keep servicing loans. Basic arithmetic proves this.Finally, Britain must pledge that 10% of all investment by its industrialists will go to Africa from 2027. To make this happen, Downing Street should offer tax rebates, export credits, green credits, and relocation allowances.
This is the scale of ambition Nigeria needs. Tinubu must go to London not as a supplicant but as a leader demanding a fair partnership that will transform Nigeria’s economy.📧 ayoakinfe@gmail.com
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