UK To Support Nigeria’s Education, Says High Commission

Africa

The UK government has reiterated its commitment to supporting Nigeria’s desire to offer high-quality education.

UK’s Minister for Business and Trade, Kemi Badenoch, stated this during her tour of the construction site of the new campus of the first British independent school in West Africa, Charterhouse School, located in Lekki Ajah, Lagos State, South West Nigeria.

In a statement by the British High Commission, the school in Nigeria aims to deliver a strong academic curriculum with day and boarding facilities, focusing on intra- and extra-curricular activities including sports, arts, and science.

It will also open doors to primary and secondary school students from Nigeria and beyond, starting in September 2024.

According to the statement, “Recent talks between the UK and Nigeria have helped to remove restrictions on transnational education investment in Nigeria worth around £50 million, enabling UK higher education institutions to build TNE partnerships with their Nigerian counterparts.

UK Minister for Trade and Business, Kemi Badenoch, said, “We hope this first major investment into Nigeria’s education sector will pave the way for more. It’s brilliant to see the progress of the construction work at the Charterhouse site—the first UK-independent school in West Africa. The UK education system is rightly renowned around the world, and I hope the school will deliver a world-class learning experience to many students who choose to study here in Nigeria.”

The Director of Education at Charterhouse School, John Todd, said: “We are honoured to welcome the UK’s Secretary of State for Business and Trade to Charterhouse Lagos as we showcase the amazing facilities we are building. As Nigeria’s first British independent school, we are proud of our British heritage through our partnership with Charterhouse UK and reaffirm our commitment to delivering world-class education in Nigeria. We thank the UK government through the British Deputy High Commission in Lagos for their unwavering support over the past year.”

While in Lagos, Minister Badenoch will meet with other key businesses, including Standard Chartered Bank, Avanti Satellite Communications, and IHS Towers, as well as the British development finance institution, British International Investment (BII), to discuss trade and investment opportunities for businesses on both sides. VON