ABUJA, Nigeria, Sep 9 (IPS) – Returning to Nigeria after 5 years, I’m struck by the modifications – the challenges and alternatives. To raised perceive these dynamics, I’ve been visiting varied states in Nigeria.
In Lagos, I see younger folks utilizing expertise to drive innovation and clear up social issues. In Enugu and Anambra, I witnessed the transformative energy of innovation in schooling and healthcare, in addition to the vital function of conventional leaders in selling sustainable growth. Within the Northwest, I met with seven governors desirous to work with the United Nations on points starting from insecurity to local weather change.
The financial panorama has modified dramatically, and foreign money depreciation impacts everybody, particularly essentially the most susceptible. Simply over a yr after taking workplace, the brand new authorities initiated crucial financial reforms geared toward enhancing the macroeconomic area and nationwide useful resource governance.
As reforms are but to bear fruit, we’re observing unintended penalties such because the excessive value of products and providers (primarily meals, gas and transport), leaving folks, particularly the poorest, in dire straits as the price of residing soars.
The United Nations wants to interact otherwise to make an affect on Nigeria and tailor our work to the nation’s growth aspirations. Once I took on the function of Resident Coordinator (RC) 5 months in the past, I prioritized high-level engagement with authorities companions to exhibit our help and supply the United Nations’ convening energy and assets.
We’re dedicated to serving to Nigeria construct a brand new narrative, led by Nigerian leaders, centered on the alternatives and hopes of the longer term, particularly for younger folks.
Humanized Financial Reform
Whereas the federal government’s financial reforms are important, they need to additionally shield essentially the most susceptible. The United Nations in Nigeria is supporting the implementation of sturdy social security nets, with the Resident Coordinator’s Workplace (RCO) taking part in a key function in streamlining these efforts. For instance, whereas the United Nations Kids’s Fund (UNICEF) and the World Meals Program (WFP) might each be engaged on implementing social transfers, the RCO brings them collectively to make sure coordination, keep away from duplication and maximize using assets.
RCO additionally cultivates vital partnerships, for instance with the Ministry of Funds and Financial Planning; Workplace of the Senior Particular Assistant to the President on Sustainable Improvement Targets (OSSAP-SDGs); Ministry of Overseas Affairs; Federal Ministry of Youth Improvement; Nationwide Human Rights Fee (NHRC); and Peace and Battle Institute for Options (IPCR) and others; leveraging nationwide capabilities and making certain the sustainability of our measures.
Within the present surroundings of restricted worldwide growth assets, we should draw on the collective strengths of United Nations businesses. By working collectively, we will extra successfully handle the multifaceted challenges Nigeria faces and be certain that essentially the most susceptible are protected because the financial system transitions.
The United Nations in Nigeria continues to supply help in vulnerability assessments, establishing sturdy beneficiary registration methods and strengthening the distribution of money transfers to hundreds of thousands of households, particularly for girls, youth and individuals with disabilities. RCOs play a significant function in making certain these efforts are properly coordinated and impactful.
We carry collectively the experience of UN businesses, leveraging the expertise of UNICEF, WFP and the Worldwide Labor Group (ILO) to enhance coverage, knowledge assortment, social registration, vulnerability assessments, communication and monitoring – a collaboration that Effectiveness and effectivity are assured. We additionally work with exterior companions such because the World Financial institution and the European Union via the Social Safety Improvement Partnership Group, leveraging their data and assets.
As well as, we hope to leverage the technical capabilities of businesses resembling UNICEF, WFP, the United Nations Improvement Program (UNDP), the Meals and Agriculture Group of the United Nations (FAO), the Worldwide Labor Group (ILO) and worldwide organizations to help pressing acceleration social transfers and making extra systematic enhancements.
The RCO additionally promotes cooperation with authorities businesses such because the Federal Ministry of Finance, the Federal Ministry of Humanitarian Affairs and Poverty Alleviation, and the Nationwide Statistics Workplace, utilizing improvements resembling biometric expertise to construct sturdy registration methods, strengthen efficient monitoring, and be certain that all susceptible teams have reached out to teams.
Recognizing the significance of constructing belief round present financial reforms, the United Nations Info Heart, below the steerage of the Resident Coordinator, is delivering a powerful country-wide communications and advocacy technique that reaches all in a multi-channel strategy. This effort consists of key partnerships with telecommunications corporations, media, the personal sector, neighborhood service organizations and others.
Deal with displacement
Understandably, the northeastern area, which is grappling with a protracted humanitarian disaster, has the strongest United Nations presence in Nigeria. Right here, RCOs play a key function in coordinating the assorted efforts of UN businesses, NGOs and governments to fulfill the advanced wants of internally displaced individuals (IDPs) and discover lasting options.
Led by the Resident Coordinator, the United Nations Nation Staff in Nigeria is an energetic advocate for the Secretary-Common’s Motion Agenda on Inner Displacement. Of the 15 international locations with the biggest variety of displaced folks on the earth, Nigeria is essentially the most superior in planning sturdy options.
This has led the federal government to just lately launch a program to supply options for greater than 4 million internally displaced individuals and returnees. The RCO performs an vital function in supporting the federal government on this effort by selling collaboration and strategic planning.
Cooperation accelerates the conclusion of sustainable growth targets
The Secretary-Common’s current report on the Sustainable Improvement Targets highlighted shortfalls in international progress. Nigeria, at the moment ranked 146 out of 167 international locations, wants pressing motion to speed up the Millennium Improvement Targets.
Whereas there have been enhancements in well being (SDG 3) and water and sanitation (SDG 6), progress isn’t adequate to fulfill the goal on time. Given Nigeria’s inhabitants dimension and affect in Africa, Nigeria’s success may have ripple results throughout the continent.
So now could be the time to finish enterprise as normal. We should embrace a brand new period of collaboration, one which harnesses the ability of innovation, optimizes scarce assets, and fosters stronger partnerships. By way of enhanced advocacy and coordinated efforts with the worldwide neighborhood, civil society, the personal sector and authorities, we will unlock Nigeria’s huge potential and speed up progress in direction of sustainable growth targets.
Now could be the time for change in order that collectively we will construct a extra sustainable, equitable and affluent future for Nigeria.
This weblog is written by Mohamed M. Malick Fall, United Nations Resident Coordinator in Nigeria. To study extra concerning the United Nations’ work in Nigeria, go to nigeria.un.org
supply: United Nations Improvement Coordination Workplace, New York.
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