UN urges Nigerian govt to prioritise peace, health promotion

The United Nations (UN) has called on the Nigerian government to prioritise peace and health promotion to achieve real and lasting developments across the country.

The WHO country representative, Walter Mulombo, made the call in Abuja on Saturday during a peace walk organised by the UN System in Nigeria to commemorate the United Nation’s 77th anniversary.

Speaking on behalf of the UN agencies, Mr Mulombo said the government in collaboration with the citizens need to see the prioritisation of healthcare as a veritable tool for fostering peace, stability, and economic development.

He said the COVID-19 pandemic has shown that if the country continues to consider health as a consumption good, it will miss the target.

“If we don’t position health in our policies, strategies, and interventions, as a requirement for all developmental efforts, then we are likely to face the same thing we saw during the COVID-19 pandemic.

“Health is a human right and not a privilege. This is one of the things the UN is doing by carrying along that message to the highest level so that leaders – Presidents and Heads of Government can understand that health is a priority,” he said.

He said the UN is an organisation established to put mechanisms in place for lasting peace, solidarity, and cooperation.

UN DayThe UN Day is observed on 24 October every year to commemorate its official creation in 1945.

The 2022 domesticated theme: “The UN and Nigeria: Partnership for Peace, Prosperity and Sustainable Development” draws attention to the need for peaceful co-existence and its impact on development.

Mr Mulombo said the UN was formed 77 years ago after the devastating World War II to promote international peace and prosperity.

“Nigeria is an active member of the UN and over the years has made significant contributions to peacekeeping operations.

“Nigeria has supported development initiatives for her people and has been an active partner in global multilateralism,” he said.

In his remark, the High Commissioner of Canada, James Christoff, said the walk is an opportunity to unite with colleagues across the international community and the UN community, in solidarity to promote peace.

Mr Christoff said the UN Day creates an opportunity to show the importance of cooperation in making the world a better place.

Prioritising peaceThe WHO country representative said addressing security challenges is key to achieving a peaceful nation.

He explained that there cannot be security without peace while calling on the present administration to tackle the insecurity challenges in the country.

“We need to remember that we are all committed to peace, we are all committed to silencing that weapon and we are all committed to giving equal opportunity to every citizen in the entire world,” he said.

He urged all member-states to respect their commitments to silencing the weapons.

In his speech to mark the day, UN General Secretary Antonio Guterres said the UN is the product of hope.

Mr Guterres said now, more than ever, there is a need to bring to life the values and principles of the UN Charter in every corner of the world, especially “by giving peace a chance and ending conflicts that jeopardise lives, futures, and global progress; by working to end extreme poverty, reduce inequalities, and rescue the Sustainable Development Goals; by safeguarding our planet, including by breaking our addiction to fossil fuels and kickstarting the renewable energy revolution”.