This appeal was made during a visit by UN Deputy Secretary-General Dr. Amina Mohammed to Abuja, where she engaged with key stakeholders in agriculture and food security.

Agriculture and Food Security Minister Abubakar Kyari welcomed Dr. Mohammed, emphasizing the critical role of the UN in Nigeria’s development.

He expressed enthusiasm for discussing the ongoing partnership with the UN, which supports Nigeria’s Renewed Hope Agenda under President Bola Ahmed Tinubu and future strategies.

Kyari highlighted the urgency of this partnership due to Nigeria’s large population and increasing food security needs. He stressed that collaboration with the UN is vital for addressing both immediate and long-term consumption demands.

The minister also noted the alignment of the ministry’s goals with President Tinubu’s 8-point agenda, focusing on food security, economic growth, job creation, and poverty reduction. He acknowledged Nigeria’s historical cooperation with various UN agencies, including the Food and Agriculture Organisation (FAO), the International Fund for Agricultural Development (IFAD), and the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP), which have yielded significant results.

Nigeria’s commitment is further evidenced by its financial contributions to these organizations, aimed at boosting food production and supporting multilateral initiatives to enhance the resilience of the Nigerian food system.

The ministry is particularly seeking additional support for key initiatives such as the Value Chain Development Programme and the Livelihood Improvement Family Enterprises Project – Niger Delta, which focus on increasing food production and improving rural livelihoods.

The Minister expressed hope that Dr. Mohammed’s visit would usher in a new phase of strengthened cooperation and innovative solutions for sustainable development in Nigeria.

Speaker Tajudeen Abbas, represented by Deputy Speaker Rep., Benjamin Kalu, announced the partnership on Thursday in Abuja, highlighting its aim to support the Gender and Equal Opportunities Bill and the Bill on Women’s Parliamentary Seats.

Abbas emphasized the importance of extending advocacy beyond the parliament to rural areas, helping constituents understand the benefits of greater female representation.

He called for capacity building and sensitization efforts to encourage women to support female candidates and contribute to national development.

UN Women’s Country Representative to Nigeria and ECOWAS, Beatrice Eyong, noted the current underrepresentation of women in Nigeria’s National Assembly and federal cabinet.

She stressed the need for Nigeria to improve its standing in women’s representation in governance and reaffirmed UN Women’s commitment to this cause.

“This is the challenge we must all work together to surmount.” Eyong said, expressing confidence in the partnership’s potential to foster significant change.

The report highlights the pervasive issue of gender-based violence, indicating a grim reality that underscores persistent global inequalities.

The UN report emphasized that the staggering number of femicides serves as a stark reminder of the profound societal challenges surrounding gender-based violence and inequality.

Ghada Waly, the Executive Director of the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC), issued a statement expressing concern and calling for urgent action.

Waly stated, “Each life lost is a call to action, a plea to urgently address structural inequalities, to improve criminal justice responses, so that no woman or girl fears for her life because of her gender.”

The report further revealed that over half of the reported murders, approximately 55%, were committed by family members or partners.

This statistic starkly contrasts with the roughly 12% of male victims of homicide who faced similar circumstances.

Geographically, the report identified Africa as the region with the highest number of murders of women and girls, totaling around 20,000, followed closely by Asia. The findings underscore the critical need for comprehensive efforts to address and eradicate the deeply rooted issues contributing to violence against women and girls globally.

This endorsement came as a response to the launch of the Niger State Government’s green economy blueprint during the state’s inaugural green economy summit, hosted by Governor Mohammed Bago.

Mohammed highlighted the significance of the summit, asserting that it should serve as a pivotal moment not only for Nigeria but also for Africa as a whole.

The continent is grappling with shared challenges such as escalating living costs, food insecurity, and the effects of climate change.

The Deputy Secretary-General stressed that the days of relying on oil-based energy growth are numbered, urging Nigeria to break its dependence on fossil fuels and pave a new way forward by investing in the transition to clean energy derived from renewable sources.

Mohammed underlined Niger State’s potential to blaze a trail in this direction, emphasizing that investing in the green economy would unlock a wave of human and sustainable development.

While commending the Niger State Government for the green economy initiative, she said, “These challenges have no boundaries and have numerous cross generational impacts. So as we examine opportunities to build green economic pathways, we need to keep in mind that most of the world’s natural resources are in Africa. And in Niger State, you are blessed with an abundance of mineral resources. Niger is uniquely positioned to be one of the first movers to engaging green growth and to become a leader by investing in energy.

“But these must include bold investments into the state’s strongest assets, which are its people. People are not just the key target of development, they are also the agents of its change.

“Dear friends, this would require leadership, commitment and partnership to identify integrated solutions that respond to the complex issues. Allow me to focus on one area. Energy.

“The days of oil driven energy growth are numbered. While our global progress on meeting the climate emergency is still too slow, the direction of travel is unambiguous. There is no long-term future for oil.

“Globally we need to end our addiction to fossil fuels, while building baseload and expanding access to reliable, clean and affordable energy for everyone. In Nigeria we face a situation where 36 percent of households do not have access to the electricity grid and where we remain almost entirely dependent on fossil fuels for electricity generation.

“Nigeria must set a shift and chart a new way forward that leaves no one behind by investing in the transition to clean energy from renewable sources. Niger has the potential to be the trailblazer on this path. Investing in the green economy would unleash the next great wave of human and sustainable development, particularly for our youths,” she said.

According to her, together, Nigeria has a unique opportunity to make progress and crucial contributions to the sustainable development goals and agenda 2063.

“Let’s continue this journey together to ensure that people, especially women and planets thrive, building a just and sustainable and resilient world that leaves no one behind. Let us take that journey together,” she said.

According to a press statement by the Special Adviser to the President on Media and Publicity, Ajuri Ngelale, the President said this while meeting with United Nations Secretary-General, António Guterres, at his UN Headquarters Office in New York City.

“We are facing the great challenge of scavengers ravaging our lands and oppressing our people on illegal mines—taking our gold and mineral wealth back to developed economies by stealth and violence against Nigerians.

“Where one’s human right ends, the rights of another begin. Most especially for self-protection, If we fight, they say ‘human rights,’ but we will now be aggressive and we will question motives. We will stop what is happening in our land. We require your effective collaboration,” the President firmly stated.”

The Nigerian leader noted that the United Nations must transform from being one of the world’s foremost talk shops to discuss global issues into becoming the world’s foremost action coordination center, saying that a situation in which 70% of the resources being devoted to the world’s poorest countries are being spent and sent back out on overheads and administrative costs, will defeat the purpose and objectives of the organization where help is needed most.

“The poverty ravaging our continent and the question of security and counter-terrorism requires us to work in close and effective synergy. The world will ignore Nigeria at its own peril. If we engage in talk shops as real challenges wreak real havoc in real time, we will fail. The time to strike is now. The time to achieve real results is now. I fought for democracy. I was detained for democracy. I am now President and I am determined to prove that democracy can provide the development that our nation and our continent so urgently demands.

“Trace those of us here to our foundations and you will find that we have ties and links with poverty. We must not be ashamed of that history, but poverty is unacceptable. I am one of the lucky survivors of gripping poverty. Nigeria is truly a giant. 240 million people and counting with a massive youth population. We are done saying too much. We seek much action. We have arisen out of poverty as individuals, but until our people have arisen out of that, we will not rest, even if it requires decisions at home that make me temporarily unpopular,” the President affirmed.

In response, the UN Secretary-General emphasized that the UN system is in the process of real reform that will largely address some of the institutional frailties and lack of decision-making power for the developing world, on whose behalf more than 75% of UN resources are accrued.

“We now recognize the need to reform the institution to represent the world as it is today. The questions of debt and SDRs. The fact that middle-income countries have only marginal access to concessional funding. In the SDGs Summit, we believe we have a growing political consensus and now, a declaration, in this regard. We are pursuing this with great determination,” the UN Secretary-General said.

The UN Secretary-General further assured President Tinubu of the fullest support of the UN system for ECOWAS in light of the series of military coups which have occured in the West African sub-region in the past few months and years.

“Mr. President, we have high expectations for your presidency after the many bold steps you have taken. Nigeria is an indispensable voice in the sub-region. We will give you every support needed for your success to be achieved. Your success is Africa’s success and we wish you well,” the UN leader concluded.

Kimaris Toogood, Peace and Development Advisor of the UN in Nigeria, made the call during the International Day of Peace ceremony organised by the UN Information Centre (UNIC) on Wednesday in Abuja.

The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the Day with the theme: “Actions for peace” is often observed globally on September 21 of every year.

According to Toogood, three major actions are needed to drive forward peace in the country, and such requires collective efforts.

Toogood said: “Firstly, we need to build the social contract; we need to make sure that institutions are accountable to people and people are accountable to one another.

“This is one way that we can strengthen the social cohesion which drives very strongly here in Nigeria.

“The second point is, we really need to celebrate our peacebuilders. People are building peace every day in this country, and it often goes unnoticed, we see you as the UN and so, peace begins with people.

“We recognise every person here in Nigeria as a member of the UN, and as such, you have the responsibility to act peacefully, be a peace builder in your community, be a peace builder for all.

“Lastly, we really want to remind people to exercise tolerance and acceptance of others, we can build a more peaceful society here in Nigeria, if we remember the core principles of being kind.”

The advisor expressed appreciation to Nigerians for working closely with the UN to build a stronger and more peaceful country through tolerance and mutual understanding.

Also speaking, Mrs Fatima Babba, Director Co-Curricular of the FCT Secondary Education Board, commended the UN for putting the programme together in the country.

She reiterated the need for peace globally, saying without peace nothing could be meaningfully achieved and there is a need for all to embrace peace as a way of life.

According to her, where there is no peace, there could be chaos everywhere, and therefore, it calls for adequate investment in education because without education society cannot be developed.

“As a Board, we are building today’s and future leaders who are the youth, and we know what it means to educate their minds towards peace.

“When children grow, they will extend peace imbibed to their workplace, family, community and everywhere in the world.

“Peace is very important and must be celebrated. Many people cannot go to farms and can’t produce food the nation will feed on, so without peace there will not be meaningful development.

“Peace is needed everywhere we go, in our places of work, places of worship, communities and even at home. if a family is not staying in peace, it will affect the family.

“Achieving peace must be a collective effort, we must have passion to move the nation forward, what is dividing us mostly is differences in religion, ethnicity and political ideologies,” she said.

Speaking during the opening day of the 78th session at the UN Headquarters, President Tinubu voiced Africa’s determination to neither be subservient nor dominate others, seeking to replace old oppressions with new ones.

Addressing fellow heads of state following speeches by US President Joe Biden and Ukrainian leader Volodymyr Zelensky, President Tinubu centered his remarks on the theme, ‘Rebuilding Trust and Reigniting Global Solidarity: Accelerating Action on the 2030 Agenda and Its Sustainable Development Goals Towards Peace, Prosperity, Progress, and Sustainability for All.’

Tinubu acknowledged that despite numerous declarations, Africa’s challenges persist, attributing much of this struggle to governance failures and the enduring effects of broken promises, unfair treatment, and foreign exploitation.

Reflecting on the establishment of the United Nations and its origins in the aftermath of the Second World War, the Nigerian leader highlighted how that era marked a pinnacle of trust in global institutions, fostering the belief that humanity had learned valuable lessons to advance global solidarity and cooperation.

President Tinubu drew parallels to the Marshall Plan’s commitment to post-war Europe, asserting that Africa has long sought a similar level of political dedication and resource allocation.

He recognized, however, that the root causes of Africa’s current economic challenges differ significantly from those of post-war Europe, requiring unique solutions.

However, compared to a record high in March 2022, food prices are still 19.6 percent lower.

According to the FAO Food Price Index (FFPI) report for the previous month, which was released on Friday, the increase in April was the result of higher prices for goods like meat, sugar, and rice, which helped to offset negative drops in the price indices for cereals, dairy products, and vegetable oils.

The organization claims that because of the adverse weather, which hit the top Asian countries that produce sugar, there was an increase in the sugar index.

“The FAO Sugar Price Index rose 17.6 percent from March, reaching its highest level since October 2011, due to reduced productions expectations and outcomes in India, China, Thailand and the European Union caused by dry weather conditions as well as to a slow start of the sugarcane crop harvest in Brazil, along with higher international crude oil prices, which can increase demand for sugarcane-based ethanol,” the report read.

On the part of Meat Price Index, there was a 1.3 percent rise recorded in the month driven primarily by higher pig meat quotations, followed by poultry prices, which increased amid Asian import demand and production curbs spurred by animal health issues.

International bovine meat prices also increased due to a decline in cattle supplies for slaughter, especially in the United States of America.

Price indices for other major price commodities exluding rice maintained a downward decline.

Regarding its 2023/24 projection for rice production, the FAO called it “mixed”, largely due to the regionally varied impact of the La Niña event. Going forward, the possible emergence of the El Niño phenomenon during the northern hemisphere summer will need to be closely watched.

“World cereal utilization in 2022/23 is forecast at 2,780 million tonnes, and world cereal stocks by the close of seasons to stand at 855 million tonnes.

“Based on these latest forecasts, the 2022/23 global cereal stocks-to-use ratio would stand at 29.8 percent, down slightly from 30.8 percent during the previous 12 months, but still indicating a relatively comfortable supply level globally,” FAO said.

On Wednesday in Abuja, representatives from all 18 political parties signed an agreement for the general elections of 2023.

All sides are required to abide by the terms of the agreement, which was facilitated by the National Peace Committee, NPC.

There is an expectation that complaints will be addressed by legal channels in the event of a grievance.

UN Spokesperson, Stephanie Dujarric, told the News Agency of Nigeria in New York that the global body supports the accord.

Dujarric confirmed there have been political engagements by the UN Office for West Africa and the Sahel, UNOWAS.

She said a top official is in contact with the NPC Chair and “ready to leverage good offices to support quiet diplomacy efforts to urge key actors to respect their commitments”.

UNOWAS and the Office of the Resident Coordinator Office already engaged with the main candidates, opposition leadership and institutions.

The citizens are suffering from the devastating impact of the continuing 13-year long non-international armed conflict.

The latest figure is an increase of 500,000 people from the 5.5 million people in Borno, Adamawa and Yobe, States identified for assistance in 2022.

“The large-scale humanitarian and protection crisis shows no sign of abating,” said Matthias Schmale, United Nations Resident and Humanitarian Coordinator for Nigeria.

The official added that an estimated 2.4 million people are in acute need – impacted by conflict, disaster and disease – and require urgent support.

The UN says approximately 4.4 million people are expected to face food insecurity in the 2023 lean season, up from 4.1 million in 2022.

The world body warned that without urgent action, 4,000 people in Bama, Borno, could be in ‘catastrophe’ (Phase 5) conditions, in which starvation, death, destitution and acute malnutrition levels become prevalent.

Child malnutrition is escalating, with the number of children suffering from acute malnutrition projected to increase to 2 million in 2023, up from 1.74 million in 2022

The UN observed that high levels of severe acute malnutrition are projected to more than double, from 300,000 children affected last year to a projected 697,000 this year.

“Over 80 per cent of people in need of humanitarian assistance across Borno, Adamawa and Yobe States are women and children. They face increased risks of violence, abduction, rape and abuse”, Schmale stated.

Children, girls, women and people with disabilities, the most affected during conflicts, according to the UN, require additional attention, protection and quality of basic health, nutrition, water, sanitation, hygiene and learning services.