The United Kingdom is working with the government of Plateau State to return peace to the state.
The British High Commissioner to Nigeria, Dr Richard Montgomery, visited Jos between the 25th and 27th of March for high-level discussions with the state governor, key civil society groups, and research institutions.
A statement on Wednesday by the British High Commission in Abuja said that during the three-day visit, the High Commissioner visited the Plateau State Governor, His Excellency Caleb Mutfwang, adding that they discussed efforts to unite all communities in the state irrespective of their ethnic or religious affiliations.
The High Commissioner also visited the Para-Mallam Peace Foundation which is working to promote justice and peaceful co-existence through value-based leadership development and providing opportunities for vulnerable communities affected by conflict, the statement added.
In 2022, the UK-funded Deep Dives Peace Project contributed to the signing of the Bassa Peace Accord of 14 July 2022.
The Deep Dives Peace Dialogue was a project carried out to contribute to the search for sustainable peace and security in Plateau State. The project covered Six Local Government Areas namely: Jos North, Jos East, Jos South, Bassa, Riyom and Barkin Ladi.
“In Jos, the High Commissioner visited the National Veterinary Research Institute (NVRI), a longstanding partner with the UK over the last 10 years.
“With UK support, under the Propcom Mai-Karfi programme, NVRI increased production and sales of poultry vaccines from 200,000 to 12.6 million annually.
“The collaboration also developed the Digitalisation of Veterinary Extension Services, the VetWiz app, in nine states in Nigeria,” according to the statement.
He also called on the National Institute of Policy and Strategic Studies (NIPSS) to meet their faculty and fellows.
Montgomery was quoted as saying: “Visiting Jos was a great opportunity to engage and interact with relevant stakeholders. I learnt about the efforts being made by the state government and civil society groups in promoting peace and harmony in the state.
“I was also pleased to visit our longstanding partner, the National Veterinary Research Institute, which is contributing immensely to disease surveillance and control through the production and distribution of high-quality vaccines. We very much want to grow our partnerships – both with the Plateau State Government and the people”.
