Jimoh Ibrahim, Permanent Representative of Nigeria to the UN, says Africa is a rich continent that does not require aid from other continents to develop.

Mr Ibrahim spoke at a reception in honour of Nigeria’s Ahunna Eziakonwa, who was appointed senior adviser on Africa to the UN Secretary-General, António Guterres.

The Nigerian diplomat criticised the perception of Africa as a beggarly continent in need of aid.

“Africa consists of 25 per cent of the world population. The future of the world is in Africa. That’s something to talk about,” Jimoh said.

“I will not be part of the people that are talking about aid to Africa.

“Africa is made up of sovereign nations; we are independent, and we cannot afford to trade our sovereignty for aid.”

According to him, what Africa needs is trade, collaboration, cooperation and partnership.

“I must thank President Donald Trump for initiating trade and investment as replacements for aid.

“Fantastic programme, so that we can actually capture the essence of our sovereignty and independence.

“I won’t be here to plead for any aid to any African country. We don’t need it. We need collaboration and cooperation and partnership towards human and material development.”

Africa’s participation in the U.S. government’s new “Trade over Aid” programme remains noticeably low.

Of the nearly four dozen signatories, only six African nations have joined the scheme, with Nigeria taking a prominent but measured role.

Mr Ibrahim also expressed concern over Africa’s absence from the permanent seats on the UN Security Council.

He noted that Africa was not at the table when nations were negotiating the power structure of the UN in 1945, as African countries were still being colonised.

“We agreed but over the past 60 years, Nigeria has been a member of the United Nations, we have spent 60 years here, but we haven’t got this permanent seat.

“Africa doesn’t have a permanent seat and Africa is about 25 per cent of the entire world population.

“If you talk about insecurity, maybe because Africa is not on the permanent seat of the United Nations.”

Mr Ibrahim underscored the importance of Ms Eziakonwa lending her voice to securing a legitimate permanent seat, or seats, for Africa on the UN Security Council.

“As adviser on Africa (to the UN Secretary-General), it will be very historic to continue to put your voice at the center of this engagement,” Mr Ibrahim said.

The ambassador conveyed the goodwill of President Bola Tinubu to Ms Eziakonwa, saying the president was proud of and happy about her appointment.

He said he was recently in Nigeria to brief the president on Ms Eziakonwa’s UN appointment and also had extensive discussions about Nigeria and Africa at the UN.

Mr Ibrahim also commended Amina Mohammed, saying Mr Tinubu and the 250 million Nigerians were proud of her achievements as the first woman Deputy Secretary-General of the UN.

Speaking at the event, Ms Mohammed congratulated Ms Eziakonwa on her appointment, saying, “how many aspired to it but you earned it”.

In her response, Ms Eziakonwa thanked Nigeria for its support throughout her UN career, saying, “Nigeria is home”.

“This is the country that brought me up. I was educated from birth from Nigeria. We can have all kinds of perspectives about Nigeria today but Nigeria produced me.

“With all its challenges, I am a product of Nigeria. So all the achievements that you are looking at, the seed was sown in Nigeria. I’m fully made in Nigeria.”

Ms Eziakonwa, a UN Assistant Secretary-General and UNDP Assistant Administrator, was, before her new role, the longest-serving director of the UNDP Regional Bureau for Africa. 

(NAN)