High Commissioner Mazoka Calls for Deeper UK–Africa Economic Collaboration
Zambia’s High Commissioner to the United Kingdom, Her Excellency Macenje Mazoka, has called for deeper and more strategic UK–Africa collaboration, anchored in regional value chains, shared infrastructure ambitions and cross-border investment flows.
She made the call while delivering a goodwill message as a close friend of Nigeria at a high-level Nigeria–UK Economic Outlook 2026 Forum held in London, where she offered a broader continental and diplomatic perspective on Africa–UK cooperation, the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA) and regional trade diplomacy.
High Commissioner Mazoka highlighted the importance of ongoing macroeconomic and structural reforms across the continent, noting that such reforms are critical for advancing regional integration and strengthening Africa’s positioning within global trade systems.
She said improvements in the investment climate signal renewed commitment to transparency, competitiveness and private-sector-led growth.
She further emphasised the need for policy coherence, institutional trust and strategic narrative-building to attract long-term investment into African markets, adding that diplomacy plays a key role in shaping investor confidence.
Highlighting Nigeria’s role as a continental anchor economy, High Commissioner Mazoka observed that successful reform outcomes in Nigeria generate positive spillover effects for neighbouring economies and strengthen Africa–UK commercial relations more broadly.
She also pointed to the convening power of diplomacy in bringing together governments, businesses and development institutions, stressing that sustainable growth depends on partnerships that align economic reform with social impact, skills development and institutional capacity building.
The forum was convened by the Institute of Directors (IoD) Africa Group, in collaboration with the Nigerian-British Chamber of Commerce (NBCC) and FirstBank UK. It brought together envoys from Algeria, Ethiopia, Ghana and Nigeria, the UK Trade Envoy to Nigeria, and representatives from Afreximbank, Standard Chartered Bank, the UK Department for Business and Trade, the British Chamber of Commerce, and other key institutions.
The discussions examined Nigeria’s economic outlook and emerging trade and investment opportunities, while situating UK–Nigeria relations within the broader context of Africa’s growing engagement in the global economy.
The forum highlighted the importance of informed dialogue, regional insight and strategic partnerships in strengthening Africa–UK relations.
