Britain’s new Prime Minister, Andy Burnham, is expected to hold talks with President Bola Ahmed Tinubu in the coming weeks, with discussions set to focus on Nigeria’s economic reforms and strengthening bilateral relations between the two countries.
The outgoing British High Commissioner to Nigeria, Richard Montgomery, disclosed this during a visit to the Chairman of the Nigeria Revenue Service (NRS), Zacch Adedeji, at the Revenue House in Abuja.
According to a statement by Adedeji’s Special Adviser on Media, Dare Adekanmbi, Montgomery said the planned conversation would centre on the Tinubu administration’s monetary, fiscal and tax reforms over the past three years, which he described as laying the foundation for Nigeria’s long-term economic growth.
Reflecting on his diplomatic assignment, Montgomery described his three years in Nigeria as a remarkable period marked by significant economic changes.
“To be in Nigeria over a three-year period where so much has happened for the good was awesome,” he said.
The envoy acknowledged that key reforms, including exchange rate liberalisation and other economic measures, had imposed short-term hardships on many Nigerians through inflation and currency depreciation. However, he maintained that the policies were necessary to restore macroeconomic stability.
“I know that a lot of the economic reforms are tough, and they can cause short-term pain for ordinary people—you know, devaluation, inflation, and so forth,” he said.
Montgomery noted that managing Nigeria’s public finances remains particularly challenging because of the country’s complex fiscal structure and legislative budget process.
“I know that Nigeria is complicated. I know that budget and fiscal management are always particularly difficult because of the way the budget works in the National Assembly,” he added.
He commended the Federal Government’s economic management team for its handling of public finances and implementation of reforms aimed at improving the country’s economic outlook.
“I think what the finance ministers and you personally (Adedeji) and your team at the NRS have done to try and put Nigeria on a better footing and also just manage the money better have been fantastic,” he said.
The British envoy also praised the technical expertise and political skill demonstrated by the reform team, noting that many countries would find it difficult to implement similar reforms.
“I am full of admiration for not just the technical, but also the politically savvy way in which your team has worked,” he said.
Montgomery added that reforms at the Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited (NNPC Ltd), efforts to attract greater investment and improvements in Nigeria’s credit ratings had helped strengthen investor confidence in the economy.
“I think what you and other key members in the economic management team have done is fundamental to the future of Nigeria. So, you have my real admiration,” he said.
He, however, advised the government to focus on raising Nigeria’s economic growth rate from about four per cent to seven per cent over the next four years to deliver greater benefits to citizens.
“I have been quietly saying to a couple of senior people, the next four years need to be about getting the growth rate from four to seven per cent because that’s what will make a difference for ordinary people,” he said, expressing confidence that Nigeria has the capacity to achieve the target.
Montgomery also described the Nigeria Revenue Service as one of the United Kingdom’s strongest institutional partners and praised its collaboration with His Majesty’s Revenue and Customs (HMRC), particularly in the area of peer reviews and operational improvements.
Responding, Adedeji thanked the outgoing High Commissioner for his support throughout his diplomatic mission, describing both his personal commitment and technical assistance as instrumental to the government’s reform agenda.
“The way you’ve done this work actually changed the story, most especially your support, both personal as well as the technical assistance for our reforms,” Adedeji said.
Meanwhile, President Tinubu has congratulated Andy Burnham on his assumption of office as Prime Minister of the United Kingdom, expressing Nigeria’s readiness to work closely with his administration to deepen economic and diplomatic relations.
In a statement issued by the spokesperson for the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Kimiebi Imomotimi Ebienfa, the President also congratulated the British government and people on what he described as a peaceful, orderly and seamless transition of leadership, saying it reflected the strength of the UK’s democratic institutions and constitutional tradition.
Tinubu recalled his productive engagement with former Prime Minister Keir Starmer during his official visit to the United Kingdom in March and expressed confidence that Burnham would build on the gains of that engagement.
He also expressed optimism about expanding cooperation between Nigeria and the United Kingdom through bilateral engagements and within the Commonwealth.
“President Tinubu further expressed his desire to engage with Prime Minister Burnham at the earliest opportunity, bilaterally and multilaterally, especially under the auspices of the Commonwealth, to deepen bilateral relations and strengthen the strategic partnership between both countries for the benefit of their peoples.
“The Federal Government of Nigeria wishes Prime Minister Andy Burnham a successful tenure in office and assures him of Nigeria’s readiness to work closely with his administration in advancing shared priorities and addressing common global challenges,” the statement said.
