A former British Prime Minister, Boris Johnson, has hailed Nigeria for its contribution to development on the global stage, including sending a “future prime minister in the form of Kemi Badenoch” to the UK.

Johnson spoke at the 2025 Imo State Economic Summit in Owerri, the state capital, on Thursday.

He said while the UK exports pharmaceuticals, automotive parts and other economic items, Nigeria sends “so much in return” such as oil and gas, Nollywood movies, brilliant doctors, nurses, technicians, and tech geniuses, among others.

“I will say nothing of those former colonies of France, but it’s wonderful; it’s absolutely wonderful that here in Nigeria, we are united, we have this huge blessing — ties of history and language and woven together constantly by the toing and froing of brilliant Nigerians to my country and and back again, and British people are coming to Nigeria, and of course I’m proud, very proud,” he said.

“We’re very grateful and honoured. And we send you former United Kingdom prime ministers, and you send us future United Kingdom prime ministers in the form of Kemi Badenoch, who comes from Nigeria and is doing better and better these days.

“And I think the greatest hope that we have, and not just the exports or the imports, is the things that we actually do together, the things that we do in partnership,” he added.

Johnson, while acknowledging the strong influence Nigeria has in different spheres of life, said, “And that there’s just so much, a Nigerian singer who stole the show in the recent coronation of our king, the Nigerian football players who have millions if not billions of fans in the Premier League and who have admirers around the world, Nigerian artists, there’s a huge Nigerian show on right now at Tate Modern, Anglo-Nigerian films that are being nominated for the Oscars.”

The former primer minister, who led the UK and the Conservative Party from 2019 to 2022, said that while Imo State has a fantastic future, Nigeria’s great days lie ahead of it.

Future Is AI

While commending Governor Hope Uzodimma for his efforts in the areas of security and infrastructure, Johnson stressed the importance of artificial intelligence in future developments.

“What is the future? It is AI. It’s gonna be AI; it’s artificial intelligence, and the demand for clean, sustainable electricity because of AI is going to be colossal.

“And so I congratulate you on what you’re doing to get clean, sustainable energy for Imo State and for the whole of Nigeria, and I hope, by the way, very much that British firms will see the opportunity here, as the Mauritian former president rightly added; it’s a very important opportunity,” the former UK leader added.

The summit attracted global political and business leaders.

The event had in attendance the President Bola Tinubu, represented by Vice President Kashim Shettima; the President of Liberia, Joseph Boakai; and a former Secretary General of the United Nations, Ban Ki-Moon.

Also present were state governors, the Chairman of the Dangote Group, Aliko Dangote; and a former president of the African Export–Import Bank (Afreximbank), Benedict Oramah, among others.(Channels TV)