By Adedapo Adesanya
Nigeria is seeking debt forgiveness from creditors and multilateral financial institutions for herself and other developing countries.
This was the call put forward by the Vice President, Mr Kashim Shettima, representing his principal President Bola Tinubu at the ongoing 79th Session of the United Nations General Assembly (UNGA) at the UN headquarters in New York, United States.
He asked the United Nations to prioritise the swelling debt hampering development for developing countries.
The Vice President asked for debt relief to enable developing countries to focus on developmental projects for their citizens.
“We must ensure that any reform of the international financial system includes comprehensive debt relief measures, to enable sustainable financing for development. Countries of the global South cannot make meaningful economic progress without special concessions and a review of their current debt burden,” he said in a statement signed by the Senior Special Assistant to The President on Media & Communications (Office of The Vice President), Mr Stanley Nkwocha.
He called on world leaders to recommit themselves to multilateralism by deepening relations among member states of the UN in line with the principles of inclusivity, equality and cooperation.
He said this is the surest guarantee of global action against existential challenges faced by the international community.
Mr Shettima decried the steep descent to singularity and nationalism which, according to him, are undermining the quest for peaceful and collective resolution of global challenges such as terrorism, climate change, poverty, food crises, hyper-inflation, nuclear proliferation and grinding debt burden, among others.
He reminded the world leaders that the United Nations stands for multilateralism which represents inclusiveness, anchored on the tripod of peace, sustainable development and human rights.
The VP also expressed worry about the main objectives of the UN and how it could sustain the global body’s relevance and resilience, noting that the pillars of the organisation are at risk of being broken against the principles of inclusivity, equality and cooperation which it stands for.
“Today, these pillars of our organisation are threatened. They risk being broken by the relentless pursuit of individual national priorities rather than the collective needs of the nations that are assembled here today.
“While commitment to multilateralism offers us the surest guarantee of global action to address the existential challenges we face, singularity and nationalism are undermining the aspirations towards the peaceful and collective resolution of such challenges.
“From last year’s summit, and indeed from previous years, we have carried over the numerous challenges of terrorism, armed conflict, inequality, poverty, racial discrimination, human rights abuses, food crises, hunger, irregular migration, piracy, global pandemics, hyper-inflation, nuclear proliferation, grinding debt burden, climate change, and a host of other vexations.
“The continued manifestation of these challenges testifies to our failings rather than to any lofty achievements on our part. Billions of dollars are being committed to the prosecution of wars and the fanning of the embers of conflict.”
Echoing President Tinubu, he also lamented what he described as the return of unconstitutional changes of government and forceful military coups in some African countries.
He said these coups attest to how fragile democracy could become when it is not supported by economic development and sustained peace and security.
This, he said, should be of utmost concern in deliberations at the high-level segments of the 79th Session of the UN General Assembly, as the forceful changes of government have led to “the impatience in cities and villages at the sometimes slow and grinding turn of the wheel of democracy.
“Our people need employment. They need decent livelihoods. They desire good and affordable education and healthcare for their children and families. They need to live in healthy, safe and secure environments. They need hope and they need opportunity,” he added.