After a drastic move by Britain to leave the EU ending a relationship of 45 years in the union, a deal that’ll be concluded in 2019. Prime Minister Theresa May has been working hard on securing a Britain that’s independent, stable and economically sound post-EU. Britain’s PM is currently in Africa [her first visit to the continent] on a three-day trade mission tour to boost relationship with Africa countries.
Theresa May arrived alongside some high-rank officials in her government with the aim of visiting three of sub-Saharan Africa’s biggest economies; South Africa, which she arrived in on Tuesday, Nigeria, and ending in Kenya. Among delegation are Charles Bowman, Lord Mayor of the City of London Corporation, David Schwimmer, CEO of the London Stock Exchange, and representatives of firms who specialize in helping Africa – including Georgia Barrie, co-founder, and director of Farm.ink. May publicly declared days before her visit to Africa her desire to make UK the G7’s ‘number one investor in Africa’ by 2022.
She struck Britain’s first post-Brexit trade pact with Mozambique and the Southern African Customs Union, made up of six African nations. The EU currently has an economic partnership with this union, and the UK will now continue working with it after Brexit, BBC Reports.
Her tour of Africa is focused on a renewed partnership between the UK and Africa. This further affirms plans by the UK government to upstage top investors like the China and US in the continent as Brexit looms.
Mrs. May is traveling to Abuja, the capital of Nigeria – Britain’s second largest trading partner in Africa – for talks on security, trade and people trafficking with President Buhari before meeting victims of modern slavery in Lagos.
Britain’s Plans for Africa according to May:
- She is expected to announce a new UK and French project to help Nigeria and Niger strengthen their borders to crack down on trafficking.
- She pledges to support victims of modern slavery who have suffered “enormous trauma”.
- £4bn of extra British support for African economies.
- Mrs. May also pledged a “fundamental shift” in aid spending to focus on long-term economic and security challenges rather than short-term poverty reduction.
Africa stands right on the cusp of playing a transformative role in the global economy, and as longstanding partners, this trip is a unique opportunity at a unique time for the UK to set out our ambition to work even closer together. A more prosperous, growing and trading Africa is in all of our interests and its incredible potential will only be realised through a concerted partnership between governments, global institutions, and business. As we prepare to leave the European Union, now is the time for the UK to deepen and strengthen its global partnerships. This week I am looking forward to discussing how we can do that alongside Africa to help deliver important investment and jobs as well as continue to work together to maintain stability and security. I am proud to be leading this ambitious trip to Africa and to become the first UK Prime Minister in over 30 years to visit Kenya, May said regarding the visit.
May will finish her tour in Kenya on Thursday, where she will hold talks with President Uhuru Kenyatta and attend a state dinner, visit a business school and meet British troops.
