What to Know from Nigeria’s Speech at UN General Assembly

An ambitious agenda was presented by Nigeria at the 80th session of the United Nations General Assembly.

On Wednesday, Vice-President Kashim Shettima spoke on behalf of the nation and listed demands ranging from economic opportunity to global governance.

Before the debate, Nigeria would reportedly address the Palestinian statehood debate, push for changes to the global banking architecture, and demand representation in the UN Security Council.

Pushing for those reforms, the vice president emphasized how important they were to the future of Africa and the stability of the global system.

It emphasized the main conclusions from Shetimma’s address.

APPLICATION FOR A UN COUNCIL SEAT

At the beginning of his remarks, Shettima criticized the UN’s “slow pace of progress.”

The alarming indications, he continued, had compelled countries to reject the multilateral institution’s fairness and tasked the international organization with implementing effective reforms.

Shettima contended that permanent representation of Nigeria at the UN Security Council is one of the improvements.

Our push for a permanent seat at the Security Council is a call for justice, representation, and change that will restore credibility to the very organization that multilateralism depends on. We are a stabilizing force in regional security and a reliable partner in international peacekeeping.

The reason terrorists hate us is that we prefer tolerance to tyranny. Their goal, he stated, is to use hateful words to split us apart and contaminate our humanity.

EQUITABILITY IN MINERAL MINING

The vice president bemoaned the fact that African countries are left in poverty as a result of the continent’s exploitative mining.

African nations must gain from the process as well, Shettima said, although she acknowledged that foreign investments provide a means of escaping degradation.

We are aware that when communities in Nigeria that have access to essential resources are able to utilize them, we are more stable. This is how we have traveled through the Niger Delta’s oil-producing region,” he stated.

When the nations that produce key minerals fairly profit from them in terms of investment, partnerships, local processing, and jobs, I think the international order will be strengthened,” he stated.

DIGITAL DIVIDE BRIDGING

In order to close the digital divide, Shettima also argued that Africa should be included in technology breakthroughs by establishing a “dedicated initiative” that would unite communities, governments, entrepreneurs, and researchers.

We’re still feeling the effects of the last 20 years’ information and communication revolution, he said, as we stand on the precipice of new and significant technological transformation.

We have a greater understanding than we had of the opportunities that technology presents and the precautions that are necessary to allow for growth and reduce the risk of corrosion. There are others who are concerned about fake news. With the potential to have disastrous real-world effects on both rich and poor nations, we have an abundance of that.

THE GLOBAL FINANCE COURT’S FORMATION

The second demand was for policies to supervise the reorganization of the global financial system.

According to Shettima, the world’s security situation has become more challenging, which has led many nations to consider the costs of the new global order.

We in Nigeria are already accustomed to making such tough decisions: should we upgrade our infrastructure or build defense platforms? Tanks or schools?

If we can access measures to enhance the international financial infrastructure, we can advance that progress to a level that offers new prospects for investment, commerce, and profit, he continued.

Changing climates are not a trivial problem.

Donald Trump, the president of the United States, referred to climate change as the “greatest con job” in history; Shettima disagreed.

The UN should reconsider how to use its limited resources by tackling climate change, the vice-president urged.

He stated, “It is not an abstract matter concerning an uncertain destiny, to be resolved at some remote time in the future.”

Israel’s status and its support for the Palestinians

Since 1988, Palestine has been recognized as a state by Nigeria. However, Shettima backed the resounding support for a two-state solution at the UNGA.

He said that the tensions in the wider region are a lasting scar of Israel’s war in Gaza.

According to us, the value of human life shouldn’t be confined to the hallways of never-ending discussion. Thus, we assert unequivocally and without hesitation that a two-state solution is still the most respectable way to bring about enduring peace for the Palestinian people.

When a civilization seeks order, the Palestinian people are not collateral damage. The same freedoms and dignity that the rest of us take for granted are due to them since they are human beings with equal worth, he said.