KANO, Nigeria — The United Kingdom has reaffirmed its 25-year development partnership with northern Nigeria, shifting its focus toward climate finance, agriculture, and private sector investment.
During a high-level tour of Kano and Jigawa states, which concluded on Wednesday, the UK’s head of development cooperation, Ms. Cynthia Rowe, met with governors and senior officials to outline a “modern approach” to aid—one grounded in trade and technical expertise rather than traditional donor-recipient models.
The visit follows the recent UK-Nigeria state visit, which signalled a renewed ambition for bilateral ties between London and Abuja.
Kano: Climate and Health in Focus
In Kano, Ms. Rowe met with Deputy Governor Murtala Garo. The discussions centered on how UK technical assistance is helping the state navigate the following:
- Climate Finance: Developing strategies to attract green investment.
- Health Reform: Strengthening state systems to ensure more efficient service delivery.
- Private Sector Growth: Supporting Kano’s position as a commercial nerve center in the north.
Jigawa: A Quarter-Century Partnership
The stop in Jigawa marked a milestone in one of the UK’s longest-running subnational relationships. Meeting with Governor Umar Namadi, Ms Rowe celebrated over 25 years of collaboration.
The talks highlighted Jigawa’s progress in agriculture and governance, with a commitment to continue the professional exchange of technical expertise to modernise the state’s farming sector.
Educational Impact
A key pillar of the UK’s work in the region has been the PLANE programme, which aims to fix foundational learning. Officials noted that:
- 1.4 million pupils across Kano, Jigawa, and Kaduna have now been reached by the “RANA+” learning packages.
- The programme focuses on state-led delivery, ensuring that local education ministries—rather than outside agencies—are the primary drivers of reform.
‘Genuine Mutual Respect’
Reflecting on the mission, Ms. Cynthia Rowe stated that the visits reinforced her confidence in the regional partnership.
“For more than 25 years, we have worked side by side with state governments to build stronger health systems and improve learning outcomes,” she said. “We are deepening a relationship built on genuine mutual respect and a shared ambition for Nigeria’s growth.”
The move highlights the UK’s strategy of bypassing federal bottlenecks to work directly with state governors on “joint accountability”, ensuring that development projects survive political cycles and deliver lasting impact to local communities.
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