By Olasunkanmi Akoni

The Oba of Lagos, Rilwan Akiolu, has called for more bilateral relationships between Nigeria and Britain, especially in the area of security and business investments.

Akiolu said the call is in line with the Renewed Hope Agenda of the President Bola Tinubu-led administration.

Oba Akiolu appealed while playing host to officers of the British Royal Navy who paid him a courtesy visit on Thursday, at his Idunganran palace, in Lagos.

Akiolu recalled that the relationship between Nigeria and Britain dated back to the colonial era when the British took over Lagos from the Portuguese.

The monarch noted that after Nigeria gained independence from the British in 1960, the country has gone through a lot in it’s efforts to fast-track more socio-economic development.

Oba Akiolu, however, said the present government of President Tinubu has been making efforts to reposition Nigeria back to where it belongs in the comity of developed nations.

In the area of insecurity confronting Nigeria with several terrorist attacks in some parts of the country, the monarch said the world should be their brother’s keeper and strive for peaceful co-existence because insurgency has no place in the modern world.

The monarch called for more British investments in Nigeria, saying that the country has the natural resources and manpower that investors can tap into.

While giving reasons for their visit, the Senior Directing staff, Royal College of Defence Studies, Rear Admiral Steve Dainton, who led the group, said they were in Nigeria as part of their one-year defence training for several African countries, Nigeria included, which will end in July.

He added that they visited the palace to receive royal blessings and know more about the history of Lagos from Oba Akiolu as well as tap from his experience as a retired senior police officer.

The climax of the event was the question-and-answer section between Oba Akiolu and the British security team.