Britain has halved the amount of money given to Nigeria in humanitarian aid, saying the country’s government must “step up and do more” to stop Boko Haram extremists.
It follows a joint visit by Boris Johnson, the Foreign Secretary, and Priti Patel, the International Development Secretary, to Nigeria to see the UK’s response to the humanitarian crisis, where they saw how British military had been training Nigerian soldiers to fight militant Islamist group Boko Haram.
Last night the Government announced £200million of aid funding for the four years from 2018 to 2022. It amounts to £50million per year, half the amount given for 2017.
Ms Patel said: “My job isn’t just to give aid and give money, my job is to make sure that money goes further and that we leverage that with the Nigerian government to make them step up and do more.”
The emergency aid money has been pledged to save lives and rebuild parts of Nigeria destroyed by Boko Haram, the Government has announced.
Ms Patel had announced £100million in humanitarian support for 2017 earlier this year.
In 2016, around £70million of humanitarian support was provided.
In a statement Ms Patel said: “It is catastrophic that at least 20,000 people have been murdered by Boko Haram’s terrorist regime, and over five million people have been left hungry and many homeless. Babies’ bodies are shutting down and mothers who have lost everything are fighting to keep their children alive.
“Global Britain is a country that stands tall in the world and the UK will not turn its back on people living in danger and desperation.
“We are leading the way on the international stage through our world-class development, defence and diplomacy, providing a lifeline to over 1.5 million people on the brink of famine, tackling Boko Haram and pushing for global aidreform to deliver help more effectively.
“Terrorism knows no borders and the Nigerian Government must now follow our lead to stop innocent people dying and securing the area so that people can rebuild their lives in safety – reducing the threat of radicalisation and migration for the UK at home.”
Mr Johnson said: “This is about helping a Commonwealth partner in its time of need as well as addressing the root causes of international challenges.”
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