Segun Akanni, Toronto, Canada 
The United Nations (UN) on Monday expressed concerns over the multi-faceted security and socio-economic challenges facing Nigeria.
Its Country Resident Coordinator and Representative of the Secretary General on Spotlight Initiative to Eliminate Violence against Women and Girl Child, Mr Edward Karlon, spoke in Sokoto.
The UN official noted that the global body was concerned about the challenges and the need to heal Nigeria’s political wounds.
Karlon spoke at the unveiling and signing of this year’s Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) framework to fast-track possible Action Plan.
The UN official noted that Nigeria’s growing population was projected to rise to 400 million by Year 2050.
He said the UN spotlight initiative was aimed at deepening support, cooperation and partnership that would strengthen capacity as well as promote systemic peace and security.
The UN official said this would be achieved by improving management and accountable system of the global body towards realising the country’s Vision 2030.
“We will make our comparative efforts and advantage visible in terms of technical support by strengthening the capacity of Nigeria’s authorities on basic and key activities for development,” he said.
Karlon led a high-powered delegation comprising representatives of the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF), the United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA), among others, for the mini-launch of the initiative.
The UN official expressed concern about explosive demographic growth with more children born in poverty, multi-dimensional poverty and inequality trend, sanitation, health and water challenges and pervasive corruption.
He also expressed worry about climate change and competing natural resources, farmers/herders clashes, gross insecurity, soaring ratio of unemployment among women and youths, lack of empowerment, weak institutions, bad governance and alarming spate of banditry, kidnapping and sundry crimes.
“Nigeria’s population is fast growing at 3.2 per cent against its lowly 2.1 per cent economic growth rate. The figure is alarming with over 87 million exposed to poverty.
“More vibrant institutions have to be established to fight corruption. We will dwell on SDGs, peace-building and crime prevention, business and usual approach, advocacy for a national conflict, peace and reconciliation commission, gender equality and discrimination against women and girl-child.
“All these would be anchored in partnership with the Nigeria’s Governors’ Forum for domestication in respective states across the country.
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“We are already in consultations on SDGs across the six geopolitical zones,” Karlon said.
Sokoto State Governor Aminu Waziri Tambuwal assured of the willingness of the governors’ forum to drive the ideas and initiatives of the UN to reality for the development of Nigeria.
He said: “Poverty and inequality need urgent attention at all levels of governance in Nigeria. Sokoto is making consistent efforts at addressing the duo through active advocacy by ensuring massive empowerment activities and enrolment of the girl-child for not only quantitative but qualitative education as well retention.”
