Paste your text in here… Chapter 3
Political Britain-Nigeria Relations
3.1 African Politics
Political relations in Africa's weak states that operate from outside formal boundaries and functions play important roles in the exercise of local political authority, often times accepted collaboration by outsider partnerships to use global recognition of sovereignty to serve their own private interests. Coincidence of interest creates constituencies in strong states outside of Africa that continue to recognize the sovereignty of extremely weak states and tolerate their ruler's transitions to warlord politics. In the case of Nigeria, British colonial administrative policies influenced Nigeria political structure and later influenced the state control. External decisions plays a huge role in shaping African states, colonial administrations that employed local intermediaries created classes of proprietary control over sections of the state bureaucracy who abuse local political authority.
The Cold War external resources used the patronage networks at the expense of development; this led to violence and militarization of commerce which were central to adapting the functions and forms of state sovereignty to building political authority in divided post colonial African states. African rulers who lack capable administration found the markets useful for controlling and disciplining rivals, this also enabled rulers to accumulate wealth which was converted into political resources which they can distribute. The end of Cold war cut off easy access to aid and loans, World Bank agents and officials of Non-African states took advantage of the new vulnerability of the rulers of weak states to impose conditions for loans and aid, the agents proposed that good governance and neo-classical economic policies would limit the exercise of power to the formal state institutions, most expectations was for the rulers to promote economic efficiency.
3.2 Political Relations
History has it that the British-Nigeria relations has been in existence right from the Pre-Colonial, to Colonial and Post-Colonial (after Independence), the relations has been based mostly on Economy , but during the colonial period there were political relations between British government and Nigeria until after Nigeria's Independence, this Political relations was in existence during the Colonial period. Employment relations between Britain and Nigeria was developed based on social, Political and Economic philosophy during the Industrial Relations, this brought about individual freedom which included the employment contract which restrained the state from intervening in employment relations practice.
Wage employment recruitments were done through the chiefs, who acted as the third party which were in most cases slaves, the boom in palm oil led to competition for labor. The wage employment strategy change with the establishment of Royal Niger Company (RNC) which handled trade as the first multinational company in charge of trade.
There have been Political Relations between Nigeria and Britain, even after Independence, the establishment of High Commission both in Nigeria and Britain foster this relationship. The British High Commission in Abuja Nigeria is responsible for the Political Relations between the Britain and Nigeria Governments. They monitor the political situation in Nigeria and seek to strengthen the Bilateral Relationship. The Consular section at the British Deputy High Commission in Lagos provides assistance to British National. In a speech given by the outgoing British High Commissioner to Nigeria Sir Graham Burton '' there is need for a reflection on the bilateral economic relations between Nigeria and Britain'. The close relationship between the Nigeria and Britain has remained but during the late Gen Sani Abacha administration which had political crises and congruent human rights violation.
The increase in trade between Nigeria and Britain which increased to about 72 billion pound (1.8 trillion naira) but in favor to Britain. The relationship between Nigeria and Britain has continued to deepen and also widen both Politically, Economically, Consular, Trade and other areas of bilateral relations. Nigeria has become Britain second largest investment destination in Africa.
3.3 Military Sector
Royal West African Frontier Force was a multi-battalion field force formed by the British Colonial Office in 1900 to garrison the West African Colonies of Nigeria, Gold Coast (Ghana), Sierra Leone and Gambia. In 1928, it received a Royal patronage becoming the Royal West African Frontier Force (RWAFF); the decision to raise this force was taken in 1897 because of concern at French expansion in territories bordering on Northern Nigeria. The amalgamation of all existing British Colonial Military Force in West Africa under the designation of West African Field Force.
Nigerian Armed Forces of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, its origins lie in the elements of the Royal West African Frontier Force that became Nigerian when independence was granted in 1960. In 1956, the Nigerian Regiment of the Royal West African Frontier Force was renamed the Nigerian Military Forces and in April 1958 the Colonial Government took over from the British War Office Control of the Nigerian Military Forces. Since its creation the Nigerian Military has fought in a Civil war, Peacekeeping force abroad with the United Nations and as the backbone of the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS). Cease-fire Monitoring Group (ECOMOG) in Liberia and Sierra Leone. Nigerian Armed Forces had political control in Nigeria in 1966 and 1983; the roles of a country's Armed Forces are entrenched in her constitution and the defense of the territorial integrity and other core interest of the nation.
During the Nigeria Civil War, Britain supplied Federal Military Government with armored cars, six Saladin armored personnel carriers, with 2000 machine guns for them, anti-tank guns and 9 million rounds of ammunitions. Britain also approved the export of 1050 bayonets, 7500 grenades, 1950 rifles with grenades launchers, 1500 lbs of explosives and two helicopters. By 19688 Britain approved the export of 15 million rounds of ammunition, 21000. Britain had two major reasons for supplying the defense equipments, firstly; protecting her interest within the Oil producing states, secondly; to enabler the Federal Government to purchase more defense equipments in the future.
The recent Boko Haram attacks in the Northern states in Nigeria have called for the intervention from Britain, United States of America and France. Britain has promised to help with the battle of the Islamic sect Boko Haram, according to Britain's Foreign Secretary William Hague, the promise of extra-training encounter insurgency will be welcomed by the Nigerian authorities, but it will take some time for it to have any impact. He further stressed that Human Rights must be respected in the operation against the Militant group. The British Foreign Secretary also insisted that the extra aid must be spent effectively, as there have been reports of corruption within the Nigeria Armed Forces.
There are up to 100 British soldiers that have been lined up for a mission to train the Nigerian Army in its fight against the Islamist extremists of Boko Haram. Britain has already sent specialists to train troops in Nigeria and deployed three Royal Air Forces (RAF) Tornados in the summer as part of the search for the 200 school girls that were kidnapped by the rebels. The new mission to Nigeria could provide advice on military organization and technical support, the Nigerian Army is said to be poorly run allegations of corruption has been made which has hinder major developments in the Nigerian Armed Force.
3.4 Diplomatic/Consular Sector
The Nigeria High Commission in the United Kingdom is to co-ordinate, promote and protect the national interests of Nigeria within the United Kingdom and to contribute to the security and socio-economic prosperity of Nigeria. The High Commission is also responsible for the British-Nigerian often used to describe British people of Nigerian descent or Nigerian people of British descent. Nigerians have a long established communities in Britain, prior to Nigeria's Independence from Britain in 1960, Nigerians immigrated in larger numbers in the 1980's, the migration has been permanent that the pre-independence migration. The 2001 census recorded 88,371 Nigerian-born people resident in Britain, but recently the figure is 100,000 Nigerians in Britain but might be underestimate. The largest concentration of Nigerians is found in the capital city London, but Peckham has the largest Nigerian community, with establishment of churches and mosques.
The British High Commission in Abuja Nigeria monitors the political situation in Nigeria and seeks to strengthen the bilateral relationship. Through the Consular Section it provides assistance to British nationals visiting or living in Nigeria. The commission also provides visa information, application for visas, emergency travel documents, births, deaths and marriages information, and legalization service, provides information on funds transfer.
The Memorandum of Understanding between Britain and Nigeria to repatriate criminals serving their jail terms will be sent home to continue their sentences, British government pledged to build new prisons with the promise of one million pounds, this will also reduce tax payer paying the bill of criminals that have no business in Britain. This will be under a compulsory prisoner transfer agreement which was agreed upon in 2013.
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