Ishaq Dan-Imam, Lokoja
Nigeria has reaffirmed its commitment to the United Nations and called for new funding mechanisms to support sustainable development and humanitarian responses.
The Minister of State for Foreign Affairs, Ambassador Sola Enikanolaiye, made this known on Thursday while receiving the UN Resident and Humanitarian Coordinator in Nigeria, Mohamed Fall, who paid him a courtesy visit in Abuja.
Enikanolaiye said Nigeria would continue to uphold the purposes and principles of the UN Charter despite shifting global priorities.
He welcomed what he described as a shift in strategic thinking within the UN system and commended the organisation for its support to Nigeria through its agencies, funds and programmes.
The minister described the UN as a strategic partner in humanitarian action, development cooperation and peacebuilding, particularly in vulnerable communities.
“For us as a country, we value our relationship with the United Nations.
“We participate actively in the maintenance of international peace and security and in advancing the other purposes for which the UN was established,” he said.
Enikanolaiye called for innovative funding mechanisms, including stronger partnerships with the private sector, to support sustainable development and humanitarian responses.
Fall, who is expected to conclude his assignment in Nigeria later this year, described the country as his second home after nearly a decade of service with UNICEF and the UN.
He commended Nigeria’s contributions to the UN, particularly its historic role in regional peacekeeping through ECOMOG.
