British Prime Minister Gordon Brown said here on Wednesday that Britain will work with Nigeria on security issues in the oil-rich Niger Delta region.
During Brown's meeting with visiting Nigerian President Umaru Yar'Adua on Wednesday which focused on the Niger Delta, the prime minister offered to help in dealing with oil smuggling and corruption in the region, working for sustainable peace there among all parties by resolving oil production that might affect global economy.
The British government and the international community will work with the government of Nigeria to ensure oil production can bring prosperity to Nigeria, including improved livelihoods for the people of the Niger Delta, said Brown, acknowledging the commendable efforts of the Nigerian government towards achieving peace and sustainable development of the Niger Delta, particularly progress on the Niger Delta Master Plan and dialogue which may lead to a summit of stakeholders.
Britain also plans to provide "robust accounting systems" and security to reduce the 1.5 million barrels of oil currently lost every day in Nigeria, a key global supplier.
Speaking alongside President Umaru Yar'Adua in Downing Street earlier on Wednesday night, Brown said dealing with the issue will help the global economy deal with the current global oil price shock. It would also help lift Nigerians out of poverty, he added.
Brown also announced 50 million pounds (some 100 million U.S. dollars) of aid to tackle malaria and save 200,000 lives. The money will be used to provide 4 million bed nets and 40 million anti-malarial vaccinations to the most vulnerable people in the country, including children and the elderly.
Britain will also work with the Nigerian government to identify training and advisory support which would help to improve the Nigerian capability to provide security in the Delta.
Yar'Adua has confirmed that the United Nations will retain an advisory role in this process, noting he wanted to see the creation of a maritime security training center in the lawless delta region.
According to Yar'Adua, restoring security in the area could allow Nigeria to provide an additional 1.2 million barrels of oil a day to the global market.
Brown told the media at the G8 summit in Japan early this month that Britain would help Nigeria "deal with lawlessness" in the Delta.
The Movement for the Emancipation of the Niger Delta reacted however by saying that it would end a ceasefire and that British interests would "suffer the consequences."
Many foreign workers, including Britons, have been kidnapped from the Delta town of Port Harcourt, reported the British Broadcasting Corporation.
On Wednesday, thousands of people fled the oil town of Bonny after militants threatened to kill those who are not native from the area.
Source:Xinhua
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