House of Representatives Speaker Femi Gbajabiamila has called for the support of the United Kingdom’s parliament in the area of insecurity, parliamentary diplomacy, political and economic prosperity in Nigeria.
The Special Adviser on Media and Publicity to the Speaker, Lanre Lasisi, made this known in a statement yesterday.
Gbajabiamila said Nigeria remained a key player in global affairs and that its parliament played an important role in addressing issues through legislation.
According to the statement, Gbajabiamila who spoke during a visit to the Speaker of the UK’s House of Commons, Sir Lindsay Hoyle, in Westminster yesterday, said the Nigerian House had used parliamentary diplomacy at different times and it worked.
“We intend to work in close collaboration with your parliament,” Gbajabiamila said, adding that Nigeria and the UK have “a rich history between them.”
He stressed the need for the parliament to come in whenever there was a government-to-government arrangement.
Sir Hoyle hailed the idea of legislative diplomacy, saying he was also disposed to soft diplomacy, which he noted parliaments across the world should consider as a different approach.
He said Nigeria is a crucial country to have such diplomatic ties with.
The Speaker promised to help where necessary to speak with the officials of the British government as regard some of the issues discussed.