By John Alechenu

THE presidential candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, Atiku Abubakar, has canvassed increased collaboration between the government of the United Kingdom and Nigeria in finding solutions to issues that are of mutual benefits to both countries.

Atiku , who served as the  Vice President of Nigeria (1999-2007), made the proposal when a delegation of the British High Commission, led by High Catriona Laing met with Atiku at his residence in Abuja yesterday.

During the meeting, Atiku and his guests discussed a wide range of issues bordering on security, education, agriculture, economy and fostering national unity in Nigeria.

The High Commissioner noted that the meeting with the former Vice President was part of the on-going engagement of the UK government to enhance democracy and credible elections in Nigeria.

Responding, Atiku expressed gratitude to the delegation for making out time to hold the meeting and noted that “the  bilateral ties between Nigeria and the United Kingdom has a rich history and it is important for both countries to leverage on that to promote issues that are of mutual concern.”

The Waziri Adamawa stressed that he expects the United Kingdom to play a more active role for the survival of democracy in Nigeria, and that he is confident that the presidential election in 2023 will be free and fair.

“On the issue of insecurity, he decried the poor state of affairs in the country and solicited UK assistance especially in the area of training and intelligence sharing.

“Speaking about the economy, the former Vice President said that if given the opportunity to preside over Nigeria’s affairs, he would, among other things, abolish the multiple exchange rate regimes and reduce tax to encourage genuine manufacturers and promote real investments. He also promised to boost agriculture in order to create employment for the country’s teeming population.

“Furthermore, the PDP presidential candidate expressed concerns over the lingering strike by the Academic Staff Union of Universities and the crisis in the educational sector.

“He promised to carry out reforms in the education sector, including the reinvigoration of financial loans schemes to Nigerian students.“