The United Nations (UN) has emphasised that Africa’s success is heavily dependent on Nigeria’s progress, stressing that the continent’s development is closely tied to Nigeria’s growth.
UN Resident and Humanitarian Coordinator in Nigeria, Mr. Mohammed Fall, who made the assertion during a courtesy visit to Vice President Kashim Shettima at the State House in Abuja on Thursday, May 3, also noted that Nigeria’s success is crucial to the achievement of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) in Africa.
The Resident and Humanitarian Coordinator was accompanied on the visit by the heads of the various UN agencies operating in Nigeria.
These were contained in a statement by Senior Special Assistant to the President on Media and Communications, Office of the Vice President, Stanley Nkwocha.
Mr Fall, accompanied on the visit by the heads of the various UN agencies operating in Nigeria, said: “If Nigeria doesn’t make it, there is no chance for any country to make it. If Nigeria lifts its people out of poverty, not only our sub-region, but the entire continent and the world at large will be on track for the SDGs.
“If we succeed in Nigeria today, the whole of the continent succeeds, but if we have challenges or difficulties in succeeding in Nigeria, I am sure it is all of our continent that will be pulled down.”
The UN delegation pledged its support for Nigeria’s development, proposing a humanitarian response plan to address the country’s challenges and ensure a transition towards medium and long-term development.
On the proposed Humanitarian response plan for Nigeria, Fall said: “The plan is beyond helping those who are in need but to set the ground for a transition towards medium and long-term development.
“We need to act now. It is the only way to sustain the successes recorded by the government and other partners to reduce vulnerability in society.”
Commending the measures so far taken by the Tinubu administration to reposition the economy, Mr Fall emphasised that Nigeria is critical to the progress of Africa and must be supported to succeed.
He pledged the UN system support for the reforms undertaken by the Tinubu administration, just as he sought the partnership of the Federal Government to initiate a social safety programme that will mitigate the impact of the reforms on the most vulnerable in the society.
“Your decision is commended everywhere, but we (at the UN) felt that before we get the results, there is a high risk that it impacts the most vulnerable segments of our community,” Fall said. “And at the UN, we stand next to you to try to look for solutions on how we can mitigate those impacts on the most vulnerable people.
“This is what we want and that is our first initiative – how can we do and work together to step up our work on the social protection front? To make sure that a safety net is in place, bring coherence, bring consistency in a way that helps us address vulnerability that is still prevailing in the country.”
Fall also said that, “The humanitarian situation in the north has improved and this is thanks to your leadership. But as we speak, there is still a humanitarian need, there is still a need to save lives, there is still vulnerability.”
Vice President Shettima appreciated the UN’s support, assuring that Nigeria will work closely with the global body to address its challenges and ensure the success of Africa.
Shettima told the UN delegation that removing fuel subsidy and unifying exchange rates were tough but necessary decisions to rescue Nigeria from an economic “cul de sac.”
Noting that the Tinubu administration inherited a dire situation when it took over the government last year, Shettima said that “fuel subsidy has been an albatross around the neck of successive governments in Nigeria.”
“We had two options – either we got rid of subsidy or subsidy will get rid of the Nigerian nation. We have to be our brother’s keeper, but we were literally subsidising the fuel of the entire West African subregion,” he said.
He added that President Tinubu’s decision to abolish the subsidy and unify exchange rates, allowing the Naira to float freely, “created a lot of challenges from the humanitarian end.”
Shettima assured the UN delegation that Nigeria will close ranks with the global body, saying, “we will work closely together to address all of our challenges as a people.”
