Abuja: TECHz – News Desk
The UK and Nigeria have launched a new £15 million Growth Programme designed to unlock private sector investment and accelerate economic transformation. The three-year initiative was announced during a two-day visit to Nigeria by UK Minister for Africa and International Development, Baroness Jenny Chapman, who held high-level meetings in Abuja and Kaduna.
The centrepiece of the visit was Chapman’s meeting with Finance Minister Taiwo Oyedele, where both sides discussed the programme’s focus on capital market development, technology investment, small business support, and technical assistance. Chapman also met with Trade and Investment Minister Jumoke Oduwole to review progress under the Enhanced Trade and Investment Partnership (ETIP), covering export opportunities, fintech collaboration, and capital market links between the two countries.
Alongside the Growth Programme, the UK announced the SPRIRET initiative, delivered under its Digital Access Programme, which will support digital governance reforms across five Nigerian states, reducing regulatory barriers and enabling greater investment in broadband and emerging technology.
In Kaduna, Chapman visited frontline health workers and community agricultural projects benefiting from UK investment, and met with Governor Uba Sani to review over two decades of UK–Kaduna cooperation.
The visit builds on President Tinubu’s state visit to the UK in March 2026 and follows substantial existing UK investment in Nigeria, including nearly $800 million through British International Investment and approximately $1 billion in UK Export Finance support for Lagos port rehabilitation.
