UK strengthens Bayelsa ties on security, youth development
By Henry Nnaemeka
The United Kingdom has deepened its partnership with Bayelsa State on community security, youth resilience and women’s empowerment following a three-day working visit by the British Deputy High Commissioner in Abuja, Mrs Gill Lever.
Lever’s visit formed part of the UK-funded Serious and Organised Crime Prevent Programme, also known as the Brighter Futures Programme, which targets at-risk youths with skills development, mentoring and resilience-building initiatives aimed at preventing recruitment into criminal networks.
According to a statement issued on Friday by Onyinye Madu, Senior Press and Public Affairs Officer at the British High Commission in Abuja, the programme has recorded an 80 per cent successful diversion rate and will conclude its current phase in March 2026. Full ownership of the initiative is expected to transition to the Bayelsa State Government.
During the visit, Lever met with Governor Douye Diri to review progress and formally recognise him as a Prevent Ambassador in acknowledgment of his support for youth-focused interventions. Discussions also centred on expanding the programme’s reach to additional local government areas and vulnerable communities.
The Deputy High Commissioner also held talks with the First Lady of Bayelsa State, Dr Gloria Diri, on strengthening women’s political participation and leadership development across the state.
The UK delegation engaged with civil society organisations, including the Pan Niger Delta Forum, Bayelsa Non-Governmental Organisations Forum, Nigeria Union of Journalists, Civil Liberties Organisation, Fringe Voices and the International Federation of Women Lawyers (FIDA) Nigeria, to discuss governance, civic participation and security concerns.
Lever further paid a courtesy visit to the Chairman of the Bayelsa State Council of Traditional Rulers, King Bubaraye Dakolo, where discussions focused on the role of traditional institutions in promoting peace and youth development.
At a community town hall in Amarata, beneficiaries of the programme shared experiences of how the intervention had helped them acquire marketable skills and avoid organised crime.
The visit comes ahead of President Bola Tinubu’s scheduled state visit to the United Kingdom on March 18–19, 2026, described as the first by a Nigerian leader in 37 years, underscoring the UK-Nigeria Strategic Partnership and the Enhanced Trade and Investment Partnership between both countries.
Speaking at the end of the visit, Lever said Bayelsa had shown strong leadership in youth protection and governance, adding that the Brighter Futures Programme had made a lasting impact and that its legacy would now be sustained by the state government.
The UK reaffirmed its commitment to supporting long-term stability, women’s empowerment and community-driven development in Bayelsa through continued collaboration with government, traditional institutions and civil society groups.
