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UN official urges Nigerian filmmakers to amplify awareness on SDGs

•Third edition of sustainable film challenge launched

The United Nations Resident Coordinator in Nigeria, Mr. Mohamed Malick Fall, has described Nigeria as a storytelling powerhouse.

Fall urged filmmakers to channel their creative force toward amplifying awareness of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).

The Senior Special Assistant to the President on SDGs, Princess Adejoke Orelope-Adefulire, launched the Third Edition of the SDGs film Challenge in Abuja yesterday.

The film challenge, which is a collaboration with the United Nations, aimed at mobilising filmmakers to use films to mobilise the nation towards achieving the SDGs.

The UN has set 2030 to achieve the SDG which has 17 Goals aimed at improvement standards of living across the globe.

Speaking at the launch, Fall said: “Nigeria is a storytelling powerhouse. Our Nollywood industry, which is among largest film industry in the world, reaches millions across Africa and beyond. By channelling this creative force toward the SDGs, we are doing more than amplifying awareness.

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“We are empowering young Nigerians to take ownership of the development narrative: to spotlight issues like gender inequality, climate change, and poverty, and to present solutions through the lens of sustainability.

“The UN in Nigeria stands firmly behind this mission. This year’s challenge — led by Office of the Senior Special Assistant to the President on Sustainable Development Goals, the UN Information Centre, and Fresh NEWS builds on the remarkable momentum of past editions.

“From 73 entries in 2023 to an astonishing 2,250 entries from 119 countries last year, the message is clear: young people are not waiting on the sidelines. They are ready to create, to lead, and to transform their world.

“Globally, the UN Secretary-General has underscored the vital role of youth and digital innovation in driving the 2030 Agenda forward. The SDGs Film Challenge embodies this vision. It aligns with Chapter IV of the Pact for the Future, recognizing youth and future generations as key architects of sustainable development.

March 27, 2025
Deputy Speaker seeks UN permanent seat for Nigeria

Deputy Speaker Benjamin Kalu has emphasised the need for Africa, especially Nigeria to be given a permanent seat in the United Nations Security Council

Speaking at the Heads of Parliaments meeting holding at the United Nations Headquarters, New York, Kalu said there was the need to redefine multilateralism to accommodate the pressing needs of developing countries.

The meeting is part of preparation for the 6th World Conference of Speakers of Parliament in Geneva, Switzerland scheduled for July under the auspices of the Inter-Parliamentary Union (IPU).

Kalu said that the current multilateral approach is driven by the Global North, leaving the Global South to face significant developmental challenges.

Speaking on the ‘challenges faced by countries in the world and how Parliaments can help ameliorate them through multilateralism’, the Deputy Speaker advocated for increased representation of developing countries in decision-making rooms and tailoring conversations to address their unique challenges.

Kalu said while the goals aim to address global issues, they may not align with the priorities of developing countries, which are still struggling to achieve industrialization and economic growth.

Kalu, who advanced Nigeria’s position on the issue, emphasized the need to expand the voices in the room to accommodate more of the Global South, ensuring that multilateral aspirations are truly global.

He said: “We need to define what we want to achieve with Multilateralism. The current dynamic of multilateralism is driven by the Global North while the Global South is facing pressing developmental issues.

“My people in Nigeria have a saying that you cannot shave a man’s head in his absence. If you want developing countries to embrace multilateralism, give them more seats in rooms where developmental conversations are held and tailored the conversation to embrace and address their challenges.

“Using the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) as an example. We have 5 years to go to attain the SDGs. I agree that the SDG Goals were designed to address global issues but a critical appraisal will indicate that some of the issues the SDGs seek to address are not yet what developing countries wish to prioritize as they are yet to scale the hurdle of industrialisation and economic growth. Therefore expecting them to embrace aspirational SDG targets may be a challenge.

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“Let us define what we choose to achieve by multilateralism and expand the voices in the room to accommodate more of the global South so that the aspirations will be truly global”.

Kalu explained that the concept of multilateralism would remain a theoretical is the principles of inclusivity and cooperation are excluded.

“I was addressing the presiding officers from all over the world who gathered to have this preparatory meeting for the world Conference of Speakers coming up in July. This is our 3rd meeting.

“I reminded them that the concept of multilateralism that all of us are talking about would remain a theoretical concept if it’s not shaped in line with the principles that should guide it: principles of inclusivity and cooperation.

“The goal should be peace and prosperity in the world, for us to be able to achieve that, you need to ensure that at all times, those principles that guide the concept of multilateralism should be upheld to the highest level.

“When you do a critical analysis of how we’ve operated multilateralism, you find out that the practice of equality is not there. The Global South which Africa falls under is not treated as equal when it gets to the table of making global policies that will benefit the world.

“If you break it down further, you find out that inclusivity is key to multilateralism. Africa at the moment is not part of the permanent seat in the security council of the United Nations.

“If we must preach multilateralism, I think it’s about time we talked about the amendment of article 108 of the UN Charter, to give more space for Africa to be involved.

“I believe that the goals that multilateralism is supposed to chase, certain areas around the globe should be designed differently.

“Africa with the burden of debts that has lingered for a number of years is not expected to perform on the achievements of the SDG goals just like any other continent around the world. These were some of the things I shared with the body of speakers around the world at this New York conference of the United Nations.”

February 12, 2025
UN chief appeals for peace in eastern DR Congo

•Court issues arrest warrant for rebel leader Nangaa

The United Nations Secretary-General appealed yesterday for peace in the Democratic Republic of Congo, where a recent escalation of fighting between rebels and the national army has killed at least 2,900 people and displaced tens of thousands.

“It is time for mediation. It is time to end this crisis. It is time for peace,” Antonio Guterres told reporters. “The stakes are too high.”

This is as a military court in the Democratic Republic of Congo has issued an international arrest warrant for the leader of the Congo River Alliance, which includes the M23, for war crimes and treason.

State media reported yesterday that the warrant was issued on Tuesday against Corneille Nangaa for massacres it claimed he committed in eastern DRC’s North Kivu and, more recently, in South Kivu regions – constituting a crime under Congolese legislation, as well as international law.

The court has ordered Nangaa to be arrested wherever he may be found and brought to Congolese territory.

Violence erupted in Goma, a city of two million people in eastern DRC, two weeks ago when the M23 fighters launched a major offensive against government forces.

A senior U.N. official in the DRC said Wednesday that nearly 3,000 people have been killed in recent fighting between the M23 movement and the national army over the eastern city of Goma, which fell to the rebels on Jan. 27.

Guterres said hundreds of thousands of civilians have been forced to flee their homes, and there are credible reports of grave human rights abuses, including rape.

“The humanitarian situation in and around Goma is perilous,” he said.

The M23 is looking to expand its territorial gains and is reported to be about 50 kilometers (30 miles) outside the South Kivu capital of Bukavu. Heavy fighting has been reported this week along the main route between the towns of Kinyezire and Nyabibwe.

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Guterres spoke a day ahead of a planned crisis summit in Tanzania of the East African Community and the Southern African Development Community. The secretary-general also said he would travel next week to the Ethiopian capital, Addis Ababa, to participate in an African Union Peace and Security Council summit to discuss the DRC.

“As the summit in Tanzania gets under way, and as I prepare to leave for Addis Ababa, my message is clear: Silence the guns. Stop the escalation,” he said.

The U.N. chief was adamant that there is no military solution to the crisis and called on the signatories of the Peace, Security and Cooperation Framework for the DRC and the region to honor their commitments.

The Congolese government has repeatedly accused Rwanda of supporting the M23, a claim that Rwanda denies but which U.N. observers have said is true.

Kigali, in turn, alleges that Kinshasa collaborates with the Democratic Forces for the Liberation of Rwanda, or the FDLR, a Hutu armed group with ties to the perpetrators of the 1994 Rwandan genocide, an allegation the DRC rejects.

The DRC government has officially designated the M23 as a terrorist organization, while the United Nations and the United States classify it as an armed rebel group.

February 7, 2025
CSO reviews Nigeria’s implementation of UN anti-corruption convention

The Centre for Fiscal Transparency and Public Integrity has carried out an assessment of Nigeria‘s performance in the enforcement of the anti-corruption protocols enacted by the United Nations (UN).

The study focused on the implementation of Chapter II (Prevention Measures) and Chapter V (Asset Recovery) of the United Nations Convention against Corruption (UNCAC), which Nigeria signed on December 9, 2003.

In its review, the Centre led by Dr. Umar Yakubu discovered that although many government institutions have adopted most UNCAC norms, their practical application often needs to be revised. The report identifies good practices and deficiencies.

It hailed the Nigeria Anti-Corruption Strategy (NACS) effected by the Attorney-General’s office and the development of the Government Integrated Financial and Management Information System, Bank Verification Number (BVN), National Identification Number (NIN), and Integrated Payroll and Personnel Information System (IPPIS).

“However, there is low awareness of the NACS at the subnational level. No report is available to measure the reduction in corruption and the impact of establishing anti-corruption laws, agencies, and mechanisms. The anti-corruption agencies do not have structural independence,” the review notes.

The good practices further include the Public Service Rules (PSR), which provide standard operating procedures and policies that regulate work and the conditions of the public service. The rules affect public officials’ recruitment, training, promotion, and discipline.

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“Implementing the National Strategy on Public Service Reforms and the Service Compact with All Nigerians (SERVICOM) and having a monitoring and evaluation mechanism to ensure compliance with service standards across Ministries, Departments, and Agencies (MDAs) are good practices,” the report says.

The assessment, however, reveals inadequacy in the enforcement of the National Strategy on Public Service Reforms (NSPSR), while the Federal Character Commission (FCC) reports poorly on the application of the Federal Character principle.

“There is a lack of effective monitoring and enforcement mechanisms of the Public Service Rules and relevant codes of conduct for officials,” the study shows. “The Code of Conduct Bureau does not make declared public officer assets publicly accessible, hindering verification by civil society groups and the general public.”

Among the recommendations, the Center calls for stricter regulation of political parties by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to curb illicit campaign financing, saying a more rigorous oversight will ensure parties adhere to legal and ethical standards in their financial activities.

“INEC can prevent the misuse of funds, reduce corruption, and promote fair and transparent elections by regular audits of party finances, mandatory disclosure of funding sources, and stringent penalties for violations. These measures would foster a more accountable and democratic political system,” it adds.

The report advocates full autonomy and increased funding for the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), the Nigerian Financial Intelligence Unit (NFIU) and the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC).

The CSO suggests access-to-information law at the subnational level to promote transparency and accountability and urges the establishment of an agency to monitor the implementation of the Freedom of Information Act and sanction non-compliant institutions.

Additionally, the Center wants the participation of activists and civil society organizations in the review of anti-corruption processes, noting that the creation of formal mechanisms for consultation and collaboration would foster public trust.

Other recommendations, “Adoption of measures to improve interagency coordination and data sharing among anti-corruption bodies; Training and retraining programs for judicial officers on ethical standards and a renewed commitment to uphold integrity within the judiciary.

“Promotion of a unified data management system across all anti-corruption agencies to streamline information collection, reporting, and analysis, and guarantee that all relevant data is accurately captured and utilized.

“Review of procurement codes to ensure they are adaptable to evolving challenges in corruption to improve the code’s effectiveness in practice; Implementation an e-procurement system for all MDAs at national and sub-national level.

“Strengthened collaboration between anti-corruption agencies and the private sector to enhance internal audit controls within corporate entities. This will increase the detection and prevention of corruption and compliance in reporting suspicious transactions (STRs).

“Improvement of financial institutions’ and Designated Non-Financial Business and Professions’ compliance by conducting comprehensive training programs to ensure awareness and understanding of their obligations to report suspicious transactions.

“Real-time online updates, especially when beneficial owners’ information changes, and provision of incentives for exemplary disclosure. This will amplify transparency and explore mechanisms for public access to non-sensitive beneficial ownership information.

“Publication of compliance with Mutual Legal Assistance requests and establishment of an electronic central database for all records; Publication of compliance level with extradition requests and creation of an electronic central database for all records.”

The recommendations equally support the use of alternative legal means and non-trial resolutions in asset recovery, amplification of reporting of repatriated assets, and inclusion of CSOs in the utilization of proceeds from disposed assets.

The report also urged the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) to strengthen its mechanisms and ensure effective regulation of financial institutions in order to curb money laundering and illicit financial flows currently over $10 billion per year.

January 25, 2025
UN mobilises support for regional stability, others as deputy Sec.-Gen. visits Nigeria

With calls for greater commitment to regional stability, climate change and food security, the United Nations (UN) Deputy Secretary-General, Amina J. Mohammed concluded her two-day official visit to Nigeria.

A statement released Monday night by the UN in Nigeria spokesman, Dr. Oluseyi Soremekun, said Ms. Mohammed had a series of high-level meetings during her visit including with President Bola Tinubu, Finance Minister, Wale Edun and Humanitarian Affairs Minister, Prof. Nentawe Goshwe Yilwatda.

He said the deputy secretary-general, accompanied by the Secretary-General’s Special Representative for West Africa and the Sahel (UNOWAS), Leonardo Simão, also met with senior government officials, President of the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS), Dr. Omar Alieu Touray, as well as the UN Country Team under the leadership of the Resident and Humanitarian Coordinator, Mohamed Malick Fall.

During the visit, Soremekun said the Deputy Secretary-General engaged and mobilized support for regional integration, stability and development; strengthening humanitarian-development-peace nexus; pact for the future, as well as partnership for urgent action to combat climate change and its impacts.

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He said she also mobilised for food security; durable solutions to internal displacement, and leveraging the African Continental Free Trade Agreement (AfCFTA) to enhance Nigeria’s trade and economic relations across the region.

“Member States, including Nigeria, and with the support of the UN and other stakeholders, need to deliver more ambitious Nationally Determined Contributions (NDCs) to ensure a safer and more livable future for both the planet and people everywhere,” she said.

On the “Pact for the Future”, an outcome of the Summit of the Future held last September in New York, Mohammed emphasized that it remained a sure pathway to getting the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) back on track.

“The Pact is not a separate agenda from the SDGs. It is one and the same. That is why the first chapter is on SDGs and financing for development. It is about international peace and security; science, technology and innovation and digital cooperation; youth and future generations; and transforming global governance,” she explained.

The Deputy Secretary General reassured that the United Nations in Nigeria would strengthen its partnership with the government through diligent implementation of the UN and Nigeria Cooperation Framework (2023-2027), and would continue to support the development aspirations of the people of Nigeria, leaving no one behind.

January 14, 2025
Russia requests UN Security Council meeting on Syria

Russia yesterday called for United Nations Security Council to convene for an emergency session after Syrian rebels declared President Bashar al-Assad’s ouster and seized control of Damascus on Sunday.

The meeting, requested by Russia, will take place behind closed doors, diplomatic sources told dpa.

Syrians were facing a new political reality on Sunday after rebels took the capital Damascus, ending the two-decade regime of al-Assad, who was reported to have fled the country for Moscow.

A rebel alliance led by the Islamist Hayat Tahrir al-Sham (HTS) launched a surprise offensive in north-western Syria in late November, then quickly seized territory from pro-Assad forces as they moved toward Damascus.

Syrian rebels free prisoners from notorious dungeons

As the insurgents swept across Syria in just 10 days to bring an end to the Assad family’s 50-year rule, they broke into prisons and security facilities to free political prisoners and many of the tens of thousands of people who disappeared since the conflict began back in 2011.

Videos shared widely across social media showed dozens of prisoners running in celebration after the insurgents released them, some barefoot and others wearing little clothing. One of them screams in celebration after he finds out that the government has fallen.

Syria’s prisons have been infamous for their harsh conditions. Torture is systematic, say human rights groups, whistleblowers, and former detainees. Secret executions have been reported at more than two dozen facilities run by Syrian intelligence, as well as at other sites.

In 2013, a Syrian military defector, known as “Caesar,” smuggled out over 53,000 photographs that human rights groups say showed clear evidence of rampant torture, but also disease and starvation in Syria’s prison facilities.

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Syria’s feared security apparatus and prisons did not only serve to isolate Assad’s opponents, but also to instill fear among his own people said Lina Khatib, Associate Fellow in the Middle East and North Africa program at the London think tank Chatham House.

Meanwhile, families of detainees and the disappeared yesterday skipped celebrations of the downfall of the Assad dynasty.

Instead, they waited outside prisons and security branch centres, hoping their loved ones would be there. They had high expectations for the newcomers who will now run the battered country.

Russian propagandists unhappy

However, Russian propagandists have reacted negatively to the sudden toppling of Assad’s regime, while simultaneously decrying Moscow’s support for the ousted government.

Some of the country’s most prolific Z-Bloggers or milbloggers-social media “correspondents” aligned with the Kremlin over Russia’s invasion of Ukraine voiced their outrage as rebels, led by Islamist militant group Hayat Tahrir al-Sham, took control of Damascus over the weekend, forcing the Syrian leader to flee the country and seek political asylum in Moscow.

December 10, 2024
Eliminating violence against women

Sir: The United Nations takes November 25 every year as the International Day for Elimination of Violence Against Women. As the world marked the occasion yesterday, it is important to reflect on the welfare of women in a world working furiously against them.

Women face significant challenges in the world today. Whether in the workplace, at home or in the larger society, there is a concerted but subconscious effort to render women invisible and voiceless.

At home, women face the hurdles erected by a superstitious and patriarchal society which simultaneously subjugates women under the prescripts of patriarchy while remaining aloof when reality forces upon them the role of breadwinners.

In many societies, twisted belief systems do not allow woman to operate beyond the boundaries of making the home. With perverse prisms through which women are seen only as good for house chores and making babies, women are expected to reinvent themselves for these purposes only while restricting themselves to the home front. In other words, women are not expected to have aspirations that transcend the kitchen or cradle. As injustices go, few are more atrocious.

Violence against women remains systemic and even structural in a country like Afghanistan, where the terrorist Taliban government is bent on increasingly limiting the space available to women. In many places, violence against women has become so entrenched as to be normalized.

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Many work spaces remain closed to women who face hurdles erected by men. Women can’t get into many jobs because they are supposedly more suited to men. This tendency to shrink the work space to exclude women is a major form of violence against women. Unfortunately, it has also spilled into the public space. For example, despite the Federal High Court judgement compelling the federal government to reserve 35 percent of all public appointment slots for women, that order has not tasted any sort of compliance.

As the world becomes more unequal and insecure with conflicts breaking out in different parts of the world, women remain an extremely vulnerable group. Women and children disproportionately suffer the effects of conflicts conceived and stoked by men.

This year’s commemoration of what is a plague in contemporary society is also a massive opportunity for reflection and action on domestic violence. Many women are living impossibly violent and volatile conditions right in the heart of their homes where they should feel safest.

Domestic violence must no longer be treated as a family affair which can be settled outside the operation of law. All those involved must be treated like the criminals that they are. Eliminating violence against women is pivotal to a safe world where everyone lives with dignity.

•Ike Willie- Nwobu,Ikewilly9@gmail.com

November 26, 2024
Developing nations blast ‘paltry’ $300b deal approved at COP29 UN climate summit

The contentious deal reached at the United Nations (UN) climate summit in Baku, Azerbaijan, commits developed nations to paying at least $300 billion a year by 2035 to help developing countries reduce their greenhouse gas emissions and prepare for disasters related to global warming.

The world approved a bitterly negotiated climate deal yesterday but poorer nations, most at the mercy of worsening disasters, dismissed a $300 billion a year pledge from wealthy historic polluters as insultingly low.

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After two exhausting weeks of chaotic bargaining and sleepless nights, nearly 200 nations banged through the contentious finance pact in the early hours in a sports stadium in Azerbaijan.

But the applause had barely subsided when India delivered a full-throated rejection of the “abysmally poor” dollar-figure just agreed.

“It’s a paltry sum,” thundered India’s delegate Chandni Raina.

“This document is little more than an optical illusion. This, in our opinion, will not address the enormity of the challenge we all face.”

Sierra Leone’s climate minister Jiwoh Abdulai, whose country is among the world’s poorest, said it showed a “lack of goodwill” by developed nations, whose ranks include the United States, Japan and members of the European Union.

November 25, 2024
Why Nigeria deserves UN Security Council permanent seat, by Tunde Rahman

Nigeria has significantly contributed troops and police officers to the United Nations peacekeeping operations worldwide since 1960. That year, the Nigeria Police deployed the first-ever contingent of individual police officers to the UN Mission in the Congo. Assistant Commissioner of Police, Louis Edet led the team at the time.

In these operations, Nigeria resolutely committed herself to the onerous task of maintaining world peace and security. Some of the country’s gallant officers paid the supreme price, while many were injured and maimed for life.

During the military era, particularly during the reign of General Ibrahim Babangida, under the auspices of the African Union and ECOWAS, there was the ECOWAS Monitoring Group, which intervened decisively in Liberia, paving the way for the restoration of civil rule in that country. Rebel leaders had turned Liberia into a theatre of war in their desperate battle for power.

Nigeria’s troops were also the military backbone of the UN Mission in Liberia (UNMIL) from 2003-2018, restoring security throughout that country.

Since then, Nigeria has been involved in peacekeeping operations in many African countries, including Cote d’Ivoire, Guinea-Bissau, The Gambia, Mali, Sudan, Sierra Leone, Mozambique, Somalia, Rwanda and Burundi. The government has contributed a lot in finance, logistics, and civilian experts to these missions.

Beyond Africa, the country’s police force participated in operations in Western Sahara, Cambodia, Yugoslavia, Bosnia-Herzegovina, Croatia, Macedonia, East Timor, Haiti, Kosovo and Afghanistan, to mention but a few.

It is relevant to point out that Nigeria’s engagement is not only in peacekeeping or maintaining law and order across these nations; the country has helped stabilise and strengthen democracy in Africa.

For instance, it’s on record that Nigeria’s former President Olusegun Obasanjo played a leading role in the international effort to restore democratic order in São Tomé and Principle when President Fradique de Menezes was toppled by the military in that country in July 2003 while visiting Nigeria.

Obasanjo and other foreign leaders reined in the military junta that ousted Menezes. The former Nigerian president took Menezes in his plane, leading him back to power in the oil-rich island republic.

In addition, Nigeria’s effort helped ferry former military leader Yahya Jammeh from The Gambia when he became a stumbling block to constitutional order.

After losing the election his regime organised, Jammeh refused to concede defeat to Adama Baro, who won the poll. The private plane of Asiwaju Bola Tinubu, now President Bola Tinubu, was deployed to evacuate the once-dreaded Jammeh out of The Gambia.

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I can continue enumerating Nigeria’s efforts to help maintain peace and security worldwide.

It is against this backdrop of the country’s considerable efforts in maintaining peace and deepening democracy in Africa and beyond that the recent demand for a permanent seat for Africa in the UN Security Council be considered.

No country in Africa has contributed to global peace and security than Nigeria in terms of human and material resources.

The request for a well-deserved permanent seat for the continent was the high point of Nigeria’s presentation at the just-ended 79th session of the UN General Assembly (UNGA79) in the United States.

Vice President Kashim Shettima led Nigeria’s delegation to that session and presented the country’s national statement on behalf of President Tinubu. The president stayed back at home to attend to pressing domestic issues. That decision, the first by any Nigerian president since 1999, deserves commendation.

To say that Vice President Shettima ably represented the country is to state the obvious, particularly for those who watched the presentation live or on television. Resplendent in the country’s traditional white flowing ‘Babariga’ with a matching Borno cap, VP Shettima did an excellent job.

Making a case for this all-important seat on the UN’s exalted podium, the vice president said: “Reform of the Security Council is critical if the UN is to strengthen its relevance and credibility in our rapidly changing world. Some permanent members of the United Nations Security Council have offered encouraging, if tentative, indications of support on the issue of reform of the Council. We welcome the change in tone and urge acceleration in momentum to the process.

“The Security Council should be expanded, in the permanent and non-permanent member categories, to reflect the diversity and plurality of the world. We fully support the efforts of Secretary-General Guterres in this regard. Africa must be accorded the respect that it deserves in the Security Council. Our continent deserves a place in the permanent members’ category of the Security Council, with the same rights and responsibilities as other Permanent Members.”

With a population of over 1.3 billion people and home to the most critical mineral resources that will power the global economy, a permanent seat for Africa in the UN Security Council will ensure inclusivity and a spirit of brotherhood. Given its strategic importance, Africa should join the council’s five permanent members. And more than any other country on the African continent, Nigeria truly merits this seat. It is an entitlement and a matter of right.

First, the seat will serve as due compensation for Nigeria’s labour of service to the world. The country’s active participation in peacekeeping missions helped save countless lives and restore peace and stability to many countries. The UN has acknowledged this important work. In a publication of the world body in February 2019, the UN singled out Nigeria for praise for her service and sacrifice. However, the UN should do more than commendation. The world body should offer Nigeria this much-desired permanent seat to appreciate the country’s contribution.

Second, as indicated earlier, Nigeria contributed the most troops and police to UN missions among African nations. The Nigeria Police Force committed more men and materials to keep the peace in Africa and elsewhere. According to the Minister of Defence, Mohammed Badaru, Nigeria contributed to 41 peacekeeping missions globally and deployed over 200,000 troops to UN operations since her first deployment in the Congo. He spoke in New York at the summit of the Future Interactive Dialogue on the theme: “Enhancing Multilateralism for International Peace and Security.”

The attendant cost to Nigeria’s engagement in these peacekeeping operations is enormous. For instance, official sources revealed that ECOMOG, a regional mediation force to end the protracted Liberian civil war, was operated at an estimated cost of $8 billion to the Nigerian government.

Third, and more importantly, with its large population of young, energetic, and creative people and enormous resources, Nigeria can provide the required leadership for Africa at the UN Security Council.

This is a role the country has been performing for many decades. It has the potential to perform this work even better. Nigeria will be the real giant of Africa if it rises to this eminent status.

Former South African President, the highly revered Dr Nelson Mandela, was once reported to have said that the Black Race would not achieve its status until Nigeria sorted out itself.

When President Bola Tinubu’s administration’s reform agenda fully manifests, Nigeria will sort itself out sooner, not later. Then, the country will take its rightful place as the true leader of Africa in the community of nations.

-Rahman is a Senior Presidential Aide.

October 6, 2024
UN raises alarm over rise in Nigeria’s waste generation

The United Nations has raised the alarm over Nigeria’s rising waste generation, saying a significant portion of the wastes remain uncollected and littered open space and drainages.

The UN-Habitat representative, Mercy Achieng Odhiambo stated this in Ado-Ekiti, the Ekiti State capital, at a one-day Waste Wise Cities Tool (WaCT) Training for Environmental Officers and relevant stakeholders in the State.

The programme themed ‘Capacity Building for Effective Municipal Solid Waste Management,’ was organised by the State Ministry of Environment in conjunction with the African Clean Cities Platform and Waste Wise Cities.

Odhiambo said the growing waste posed an existential threat to human and animal lives, adding the waste contained harmful chemicals contributing to environmental degradation.

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She lamented that poor management of waste had caused an increase in flood disaster and sanitation-related diseases in the country, urging the government at all levels to ensure proper management of waste.

Odhiambo said that the training would help Environmental Officers assess waste generation, identify stakeholders in the recovery chain, and develop strategies for better waste management through data-driven decisions.

The UN Technical Support officer, Mr. Akin Tobi who emphasized the need for quality data in managing waste in Ekiti State.

He said, “We need quality data on the number of waste generated in Ado-Ekiti; the government is passionate about waste, and in collaboration with UN-Habitat, Ekiti was registered into the African Clean Cities Platform.”

“In June, Ado-Ekiti was one of the three cities in Africa to receive assistance on the clean city initiative, to train environmental officers on how to measure the waste generated in the state. “It’s a do-it-yourself program,” he said.

The Commissioner for Environment, Mrs. Tosin Aluko-Ajisafe, stated that effective waste management was crucial for the state’s environment, noting that the training was aimed at ensuring the state is habitable.

Aluko-Ajisafe restated the commitment of Governor Oyebanji-led administration to effective waste management, saying the government had placed Dino bins at strategic locations in the state capital for easy disposal and collection of waste.

August 18, 2024