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Tag: Ms Amina Mohammed

  • UN commends Africa’s developmental, digital efforts

    UN commends Africa’s developmental, digital efforts

    The Deputy Secretary-General of the United Nations (UN), Ms Amina Mohammed, has commended the developmental efforts and steady progress in digital technology across Africa, despite challenges and the need to do more.

    She spoke yesterday at the opening of the Ministerial Segment of the 52nd Session of the Economic Commission for Africa (ECA) conference of African Ministers of Finance, Planning and Economic Development in Marrakech, Morocco.

    Mohammed said Africa was on the move, especially when compared to progress in other regions.

    “Africa is on the move. Africa is leading by example. Even where some part of the globe are sliding and getting complacent, Africa is emerging as the continent of hope,” she said.

    Her segment attracted participants including Ms Vera Songwe, the UN Undersecretary and Executive Secretary of the ECA, and Moustafa Yousif Holi, State Minister of Finance and Economic Planning of Sudan, who was also the chairman of the Bureau of experts.

    Duvvuri Subbarao, a former governor of the Reserve Bank of India; Hala El-Said, Minister of Planning, Monitoring and Administrative Reform of Egypt; and Omar Hilale, Vice President of the UN Economic and Social Council; among others, were also present.

    Mohammed, however, cautioned that Africa simply cannot resist opportunities to enhance its inclusive growth efforts.

    Read also: FG denies export racketeering allegations against Amina Mohammed

    “We need to be creative and innovative in our methods. The (UN) Secretary General (Antonio Guterres) has assured that the UN is ever ready to help Africa surmount its challenges. We are going to work with everybody in ensuring that no one is left behind. The UN agencies on ground will continue to channel their energy in realising regional integration and sustainable economic growth, just as the ECA is doing in Africa.

    “In this regard, one must appreciate the efforts of Ms Songwe and her team for the admirable ways they have been going about in ensuring that desired goals are met in Africa. In our drive, we must ensure no one is left behind, especially young girls,” she said.

    The former Nigerian Minister of Environment said that Africa must be conscious of the need to create about 250 million jobs in the next 10 years.

    According to her, the digital world is moving very fast and the challenges faced require a multidimensional approach, while various ministers of finance, development and planning have a lot of job to do.

  • Harmonize your biometrics platforms, UN tells Nigeria

    Harmonize your biometrics platforms, UN tells Nigeria

    The UN has called on Nigeria to harmonise its multiple biometric platforms for more efficiency.

    The UN Deputy Secretary-General, Ms Amina Mohammed, stated this on Friday when she received Nigeria’s delegates to the 50th session of the UN Commission on Population and Development in New York.

    She said that a central body for the biometrics would reduce the financial implication of the current system and make it less cumbersome.

    “I would raise one concern and that is that in Nigeria we have a multiplicity of platforms that are doing a biometrics on everything; that is not efficient.

    “It is not cost-effective and there should be a better way for us, to say that, you have the banks taking everybody’s biometrics, immigration is doing it. I mean everybody is doing.

    “By the time we went through it, there must be some basis that we can take and centralize that in some way and give it the premise for everybody’s biometric.

    “So may be in a sense, the argument should be who should hold that responsibility of having the main frame and everyone now comes on and takes off their data for their constituency or their purpose.”

    Earlier in his remarks, the Director-General, National Population Commission (NPC), Dr Ghaji Bello, commended Mohammed for her service to humanity and appealed for her office to assist Nigeria where necessary.

    “We would also like to crave your indulgence to place before you one or two areas that we passionately believe you will assist our country.

    “Coming from the population angle, there are issues of population and development.

    “You are aware more than any other person of the level of underdevelopment with respect to health, education and lack of job opportunities back home.

    “And quite a number of things that will make life easy for the average person; the whole essence of governance is service.

    “So we know why you are here and we believe that you will distinguish yourself further and work in such a manner that it would impact on the global scene much more than before.”

     

  • UN remembers Chibok schoolgirls on Int’l Women’s Day

    UN remembers Chibok schoolgirls on Int’l Women’s Day

    The UN Deputy Secretary-General, Ms Amina Mohammed, has called on the international community to remember the Chibok schoolgirls and thousands of other women abducted by the Boko Haram terrorists.

    Mohammed stated this in her speech to commemorate the 2017 International Women’s Day at the UN Headquarters in New York.

    “Today let us save a thought for the Chibok girls.

    “And the thousands of women and girls that have been lost to the horror of terrorism and extreme violence and conflict,” Mohammed said.

    The Deputy UN chief described Women’s Day as the most important Day,  saying ” every day, in every way, we must celebrate women.

    According to her, the 2030 Agenda recognises that women and girls are indispensable for durable peace, true justice and sustainable development.

    She said the clock to ‘Planet 50-50 by 2030’ was ticking “and we women are impatient; now, with your help, we need to get to work”.

    “Women’s rights and opportunities are consistently neglected and even under threat – in all regions. Sexism and misogyny are alive and thriving.

    “Everywhere, we see tradition, cultural values and religion being used to hold women and girls back. Their rights over their own bodies are questioned and undermined.

    “Women and girls are routinely targeted for intimidation and harassment online and in real life. Violence against women and girls is a continuing pandemic.

    “Extremists and terrorists preach the subjugation of women and girls. And they are fleeing in record numbers. Half the world’s 244 million migrants and 19.6 million refugees are female,” she said.

    The UN deputy scribe pointed out the pernicious influences of entrenched habits and attitudes of too many societies and, unfortunately, too many men.

    “Just look around at who are sitting in governments and in boardrooms. Do you see equality? Rarely”.

    According to her, that was why the Secretary-General António Guterres has been very clear about his commitment to work for gender parity at the UN, and for justice and opportunity for women and girls around the world.

    Mohammed said when women participate fully in the labour force, the society sees dynamism and growth.

    “And so that is why we absolutely must fight for Planet 50-50 by 2030.

    “The Secretary-General and myself, and everyone on this podium, are committed to do everything we can to achieve this objective.

    “I am also humbled to be in a role where I can help inspire action for gender equality and empowerment of women and girls,”  Mohammed said

     

  • Mohammed resumes work at UN Tuesday

    The immediate past Minister of Environment, Ms Amina Mohammed, will be sworn-in on Tuesday as the United Nations Deputy Secretary-General at the UN Headquarters in New York.

    Mohammed, who was appointed by the UN Secretary-General, António Guterres, on December 15, 2016 as his deputy, was initially expected to assume office on January 1.

    She, however, delayed the assumption of her new role at the request of President Muhammadu Buhari to complete some ongoing responsibilities she was handling at that time.

    Guterres, while announcing the appointment of Mohammed alongside two other women, described them as “highly competent.”

    “I am happy to count on the efforts of these three highly competent women, whom I have chosen for their strong backgrounds in global affairs, development, diplomacy, human rights and humanitarian action.

    “These appointments are the foundations of my team, which I will continue to build, respecting my pledges on gender parity and geographical diversity,” Guterres had said.

    The office of the UN Deputy Secretary-General was formally established by the General Assembly in 1997 to handle many of the administrative responsibilities of the Secretary-General.

    As the fifth Deputy Secretary-General, Mohammed will help to manage the UN Secretariat operations, and “ensuring inter-sectoral and inter-institutional coherence of activities and programmes.”

    NAN

  • SDGs: Minister calls for Amina Mohammed’s support

    SDGs: Minister calls for Amina Mohammed’s support

    The Foreign Affairs Minister, Geoffrey Onyeama, on Tuesday, called for the support of Ms Amina Mohammed, the Deputy UN Secretary-General, in the attainment of Sustainable Development Goal (SDGs)  .

    Onyeama made the call in an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) on the sidelines of a send-off organised for Mohammed by the Foreign Affairs Ministry.

    “We expect her support in the area of Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).

    “It is a very important goal which covers all the areas of achieving sustainable development in health, education and youth.

    “We expect her to help us in the implementation of SDGs, and also to help us to access development funds,” the minister said.

    He said that Federal Government had been supportive and would continue to support Mohammed in her career.

    According to him, she has the full support and encouragement of the Federal Government, and it will do everything possible to enable her to succeed.Geoffery Onyema

    Mohammed also told NAN that Nigeria would benefit immensely from the UN, saying that Nigeria was occupying a position on the world stage, trying to influence the way things were going.

    “UN is a big platform for the world, it gives room for everybody; so we will continue to bring around the issue of Nigeria such as the Lake Chad issues and others.

    “We are talking about diversifying our economy, gas flaring, all of these and others on energy and resources, other issues may be our focus in the UN,” she said.

    The deputy UN scribe said that her focus would also be on the girl-child.

    “It is a great responsibility. Now, I know that other women and girls that are growing up can do much more than I can.

    “What we are doing is setting one bar for them to set another that opens the door for opportunities, setting one bar for themselves,” she said.