UN In Nigeria: Charting A Path Towards A Brighter Future—Mohamed Malick Fall

<h4>UN In Nigeria<&sol;h4>&NewLine;<p><strong><a href&equals;"https&colon;&sol;&sol;openlife&period;ng&sol;">OpenLife Nigeria<&sol;a><&sol;strong> reproduces a piece by Mohamed Malick Fall&comma; the UN Resident and Humanitarian Coordinator in Nigeria in which he marshals points about United Nations and its corresponding peace initiatives<&sol;p>&NewLine;<p><em><strong>The indescribable destruction caused by the first and second world wars led many to desire an international organization dedicated to maintaining world peace&period;<&sol;strong><&sol;em><&sol;p>&NewLine;<p><em><strong>The United Nations &lpar;UN&rpar; was therefore established on 24 October 1945&comma; to maintain international peace and security and to achieve cooperation among nations on economic&comma; social&comma; and humanitarian challenges&period;<&sol;strong><&sol;em><&sol;p>&NewLine;<p><em><strong>As we commemorate the &OpenCurlyQuote;birth’ of the UN&comma; we are reminded of its enduring legacy in promoting peace&comma; development&comma; and humanitarian relief across the globe&period;<&sol;strong><&sol;em><&sol;p>&NewLine;<p><em><strong>The creation of the UN&comma; nearly eight decades ago was a pivotal moment in international history &&num;8211&semi; anchored in the vision of a world united to prevent conflict&comma; protect human rights&comma; and ensure dignity for all&period; <&sol;strong><&sol;em><&sol;p>&NewLine;<p><em><strong>The values enshrined in the UN Charter resonate strongly in Nigeria&comma; a nation that joined the UN on 7 October 1960&comma; just days after gaining its independence&period;<&sol;strong><&sol;em><&sol;p>&NewLine;<p><em><strong>Some will argue that the need for the UN has never been greater than it is today&comma; at a time when multilateralism and interstate collaboration is under threat in an increasingly divided world&period;<&sol;strong><&sol;em><&sol;p>&NewLine;<p><em><strong>Not only is the spectre of conflict rearing its ugly head&comma; but pandemics have also killed millions of people in the last few years&period; <&sol;strong><&sol;em><&sol;p>&NewLine;<p><em><strong>Most importantly&comma; humankind is facing an existential challenge through climate change&period; If we are to survive&comma; we will need to put our own interest aside for that of humanity and common survival&period;<&sol;strong><&sol;em><&sol;p>&NewLine;<p><em><strong>The UN’s engagement with Nigeria has been deep and transformative&comma; spanning development initiatives&comma; and humanitarian responses to the challenges faced by vulnerable people&period; <&sol;strong><&sol;em><&sol;p>&NewLine;<p><em><strong>Through decades of partnership&comma; the UN has played a central role in support of the Government of Nigeria&comma; positively impacting the lives of millions through its wide-ranging interventions&period;<&sol;strong><&sol;em><&sol;p>&NewLine;<p><em><strong>First&comma; humanity is at the heart of the UN’s work in Nigeria&period; Across Nigeria&comma; each region faces distinct humanitarian challenges&period; <&sol;strong><&sol;em><&sol;p>&NewLine;<p><em><strong>The UN&comma; through its agencies&comma; in collaboration with local and international partners&comma; with the Nigerian Government taking the lead&comma; has acted as a beacon of hope for those in crisis&period;<&sol;strong><&sol;em><&sol;p>&NewLine;<p><em><strong> Interventions have ranged from providing life-saving food and medical supplies&comma; to addressing the long-term needs of displaced people&comma; including education&comma; and psychosocial care&period;<&sol;strong><&sol;em><&sol;p>&NewLine;<p><em><strong>The UN supports resilience building&comma; agricultural recovery&comma; food security&comma; and livelihoods in affected communities&comma; as well as reproductive health and protection services against gender-based violence&period;<&sol;strong><&sol;em><&sol;p>&NewLine;<p><em><strong>Furthermore&comma; the UN aids displaced people and refugees&comma; providing shelter and basic needs&comma; while also supporting child protection&comma; education&comma; health&comma; and nutrition programmes&period;<&sol;strong><&sol;em><&sol;p>&NewLine;<p><a href&equals;"https&colon;&sol;&sol;www&period;vanguardngr&period;com&sol;"><em><strong>In Borno&comma; Adamawa&comma; and Yobe states&comma; where conflict and displacement have left millions vulnerable&comma; UN-coordinated humanitarian responses have been crucial&period; <&sol;strong><&sol;em><&sol;a><&sol;p>&NewLine;<p><em><strong>Over the past decade&comma; at least five million people have received aid annually&comma; courtesy of the UN and partners&comma; ensuring their access to food&comma; water&comma; healthcare&comma; and protection services&period;<&sol;strong><&sol;em><&sol;p>&NewLine;<p><em><strong>Beyond emergency responses&comma; the UN has continued to support Nigeria’s development&period;<&sol;strong><&sol;em><&sol;p>&NewLine;<p><em><strong>It has been pivotal in fostering sustainable development through a focus on capacity building&comma; governance reform&comma; and the empowerment of women and youth&period; <&sol;strong><&sol;em><&sol;p>&NewLine;<p><em><strong>Over the years&comma; the UN has supported numerous educational and vocational programmes that have enabled thousands of Nigerians to rise above poverty and build better futures for themselves and their families&period;<&sol;strong><&sol;em><&sol;p>&NewLine;<p><em><strong>More so&comma; the UN has supported the implementation of projects aimed at enhancing the resilience of communities&period; Initiatives in agriculture&comma; renewable energy&comma; and economic diversification have been particularly impactful in promoting food security and mitigating the effects of climate change&period;<&sol;strong><&sol;em><&sol;p>&NewLine;<p><em><strong>Similarly&comma; its support for the fight against gender-based violence and human trafficking is helping protect vulnerable people and upholding human rights&period;<&sol;strong><&sol;em><&sol;p>&NewLine;<p><em><strong>Despite these successes&comma; the road has not been without challenges&period;<&sol;strong><&sol;em><br &sol;>&NewLine;<em><strong>Conflict&comma; displacement&comma; food insecurity&comma; malnutrition&comma; natural disasters&comma; and climate change impacts remain significant hurdles in Nigeria&&num;8217&semi;s path to sustainable development&period;<&sol;strong><&sol;em><&sol;p>&NewLine;<p><em><strong>The humanitarian crisis in the north-east persists&comma; with violence continuing to disrupt lives and livelihoods&period;<&sol;strong><&sol;em><&sol;p>&NewLine;<p><em><strong>The northwest struggles with escalating banditry and communal clashes&comma; displacing thousands&period; The north-central region faces recurrent farmer-herder conflicts&comma; threatening food security and livelihoods&period; The south-west grapples with violence and kidnapping&comma; posing risks to safety&period;<&sol;strong><&sol;em><&sol;p>&NewLine;<p><em><strong>The south-south is grappling with environmental degradation affecting both livelihoods and ecosystems&period; In the south-east&comma; rising insecurity has disrupted local economies and essential services&comma; intensifying the humanitarian needs of affected communities&period;<&sol;strong><&sol;em><br &sol;>&NewLine;<em><strong>Moreover&comma; rising inflation and the global economic downturn have compounded the struggles faced by Nigeria’s most vulnerable people&period;<&sol;strong><&sol;em><br &sol;>&NewLine;<em><strong>As we celebrate the UN’s impact in Nigeria&comma; let us remember that the journey continues&period;<&sol;strong><&sol;em><br &sol;>&NewLine;<em><strong>Let all hands be on deck&excl;<&sol;strong><&sol;em><&sol;p>&NewLine;