PM heads off on African tour to seek trade for ‘Global Britain’

THERESA May will fly to Africa tonight to drum up post-Brexit trade.

The Prime Minister will lead a business delegation to South Africa, Nigeria and Kenya to discuss renewed partnerships to deliver jobs and growth.

Over three days she will meet political leaders and offer support to tackle instability and improve security across the region.

But the focus of her trip will be to promote the opportunities African nations have to work with ‘Global Britain’ after the UK leaves the EU next spring.

She said last night: ‘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.’

On the first day of her tour Mrs May will use a speech in Cape Town to set out how Britain can boost trade with African countries.

She will present a historic First World War relic to South African president Cyril Ramaphosa, and also visit Robben Island, where Nelson Mandela was incarcerated. Mrs May will then travel to Nigeria to meet president Muhammadu Buhari and spend time meeting victims of modern slavery, a cause she has worked passionately to tackle.

She will finally fly to Kenya to meet president Uhuru Kenyatta and see British soldiers training troops on bomb disposal. Mrs May will be the first British Prime Minister to visit Kenya for more than 30 years.

She will be joined on the tour by a business delegation made up of 29 representatives from UK firms.

Yesterday Atiku Abubakar, Nigeria’s vice president from 1999 to 2007, said Brexit was a ‘great force for good’ which could boost Africa and the whole of the Commonwealth.