By Ken Afor
Nigeria’s President, Bola Ahmed Tinubu, has made it known to world leaders at the 18th G-20 Leaders’ Summit in New Delhi, India, that the country is ready to be a major player among the comity of nations.
In a statement issued by the President’s Special Adviser on Media and Publicity, Chief Ajuri Ngelale, Tinubu called for cooperation among leaders in the G-20 to unite in addressing world’s most pressing challenges including hunger and poverty among the developing economies.
President Tinubu reminded the G-20 leaders on the importance of fostering peaceful coexistence among nations, this he said is the panacea to a more secured and prosperous world.
The statement reads: “Most of today’s pressing issues are international in character and cannot be addressed without multilateral cooperation.
“Therefore, stronger collaboration, cooperation, and partnership among diverse regions are the pathways to a peaceful, prosperous, and sustainable future for our world.
“This is why the role and contributions of the G-20 in shaping a new world order that is fair and rules-based cannot be over-emphasized.
“A world that lives as one family, but is divided by staggering income inequalities and uneven access to basic social goods by the vast majority of our people cannot result in a peaceful and secure world where shared prosperity is achieved.
“I hasten to add that such rules and global governance structures of our collective dreams must be collectively designed, collectively owned, and collectively managed.”
According to the president, this is consistent with the true spirit of one Family, mutual respect, and sustainable development.
“Nigeria is poised, able and willing to be a major player in this family of the G-20 and in shaping a new world, without whom, the family will remain incomplete,” the President said.
The President touched on the idea of including African Union (AU) with the G-20 saying it presents endless opportunities for cooperation which is aimed at ensuring inclusiveness as a one big family which is in sync with this year’s theme of the G-20 summit: ‘One Earth. One Family. One Future.’
“It opens opportunities for future membership of the group in a manner that reflects the relative balance of power and inclusiveness of humanity as One Family.”
“The need for us to work together as one family has, therefore, becomes more imperative.
“We must strive to create a world of inclusiveness in which everyone has access to the basic necessities of life, and in a manner that widens and strengthens the ownership of our planet regardless of one’s economic, social, and political status.”
“By doing so, we will be building a society anchored on the strong values of tolerance and mutual respect, where diplomacy, dialogue, and cooperation take precedence over competition, conflict, and divisions, which are based on inflexible ideologies and belief
