KEY POINTS
• Vice President Kashim Shettima says Nigeria will support a candidate for UN secretary general who backs Africa’s aspirations in global affairs.
• Shettima says Nigeria’s position will be guided by equity, justice, fairness, multilateralism and greater African representation in global decision making.
• Nigeria and the Netherlands have also agreed to deepen cooperation on financial inclusion, with Dutch expertise to support programmes targeting women and vulnerable Nigerians.
MAIN STORY
Vice President Kashim Shettima says Nigeria will support a candidate for the position of United Nations Secretary General who believes in Africa’s aspirations in global affairs.
Shettima stated this during a meeting with Costa Rican candidate for the position, Rebeca Grynspan, in New York.
A statement issued by his spokesman, Stanley Nkwocha, said the vice president told Grynspan that Nigeria’s position would be guided by equity, justice and fairness.
He said Nigeria would also support a candidate committed to securing stronger African representation in key global decision making bodies and promoting multilateralism.
Shettima said he would recommend Grynspan’s candidature based on factors including Nigeria’s relationship with Latin America and gender inclusion.
“Thank you for seeking Nigeria’s perspective for your candidature for the United Nations Secretary General.
“Nigeria and Costa Rica share a common historical background connecting both countries and their regions.
“We also have a cordial relationship with Latin America, and we do not wish to jeopardise it.
“Beyond our historical ties and relations rest our interest in conflict prevention, multilateralism, and the peace of our nations,” he said.
The vice president also called for reforms to the global governance architecture, saying the system had changed significantly since 1945 but had yet to adequately reflect Africa’s integration and its population of more than 1.3 billion people.
Grynspan, who is Costa Rica’s nominated candidate for the UN secretary general position, sought Nigeria’s support for her candidature. The United Nations lists her among the candidates formally nominated for the position.
She said she was prepared to lead reforms at the UN, particularly those being advocated by countries in the Global South.
“Coming from the Global South, I represent the interest and demands of the region. I also have a soft spot for Africa. I know the continent and its aspirations,” she said.
Grynspan said her candidature would promote an agenda that prioritised peace and pledged to give attention to Africa’s demand for permanent representation on the UN Security Council.
Nigeria, Netherlands deepen financial inclusion cooperation
In a related development, Nigeria and the Netherlands have agreed to deepen collaboration on financial inclusion across different levels of Nigerian society.
The agreement followed a bilateral meeting between Shettima and Queen Máxima of the Netherlands in New York.
Under the arrangement, the Netherlands will leverage its expertise and experience in financial health to support Nigeria’s financial inclusion programmes, particularly those targeting women and vulnerable groups.
Shettima welcomed the offer, saying financial health and inclusion had direct links to education, security and poverty reduction.
He cited the conditional cash transfer initiative and agricultural schemes among government programmes aimed at improving financial inclusion and economic opportunities.
The vice president also said government policies had positioned some of Africa’s major fintech companies to play critical roles in expanding access to financial services.
He defended the economic reforms undertaken by the administration of President Bola Tinubu, saying they were necessary given the state of the economy when the administration assumed office in 2023.
Queen Máxima, who serves as the UN Secretary General’s Special Advocate for Financial Health, acknowledged efforts to improve financial inclusion and pledged Dutch support through expertise in areas including insurance, credit guarantees and data generation.
She said the financial health programme aimed to improve citizens’ resilience, protect their investments and expand access to insurance.
THE ISSUES
- Nigeria is linking its support for the next UN secretary general to positions on African representation, multilateralism, conflict prevention and reform of global governance institutions.
- Costa Rica’s Rebeca Grynspan has formally been nominated for the UN secretary general position and is seeking support from member states, including Nigeria.
- Nigeria and the Netherlands are seeking to expand cooperation on financial health and inclusion, particularly through expertise in insurance, credit guarantees and data generation.
WHAT’S BEING SAID
“Nigeria will also support a candidate who believes in Africa’s aspirations in global affairs, specifically securing positions in key decision-making bodies and promoting multilateralism.” – Vice President Kashim Shettima
“Coming from the Global South, I represent the interest and demands of the region. I also have a soft spot for Africa. I know the continent and its aspirations.” – Rebeca Grynspan, Costa Rican candidate for UN Secretary General
WHAT’S NEXT
Nigeria is expected to continue engaging candidates for the UN secretary general position as member states consider the next occupant of the office. The UN’s formal selection process includes nominated candidates whose vision statements and other candidature documents have been published by the organisation.
On financial inclusion, Nigeria and the Netherlands are expected to develop cooperation around financial health, including insurance, credit guarantees and data generation.
BOTTOM LINE
Nigeria has outlined the principles it says will guide its position on the next UN secretary general, including equity, fairness, multilateralism and stronger African representation in global decision making. Separately, Nigeria and the Netherlands are deepening cooperation on financial inclusion, with Dutch expertise expected to support efforts targeting women and vulnerable groups.
