The Federal Government on Thursday commended the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) for its sustained support for Nigeria through developmental programmes, promising that it will continue to leverage on UNDP’s support and expertise to facilitate its various socioeconomic reform initiatives.
The Chief of Staff to President Bola Tinubu, Hon. Femi Gbajabiamila, commended the UNDP for its support for Nigeria’s development when he hosted the UNDP Resident Representative, Ms Elsie Attafuah, during her courtesy visit to his office at the Presidential Villa in Abuja.
He explained: “UNDP has been around in this country for long and some of the things you have done, over a wide range of areas, are commendable. I want to thank you, once more for your support for President Tinubu’s reform programmes.
“For instance, you talked about Made-in-Nigeria policy which is part of Mr. President’s reform agenda through which the President wants to bring into his administration a commitment to industrialization. Some call it Nigeria First.
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“The President is passionate about it. We had the local content in the oil industry, but this is a much wider concept. How can we practicalize this and make it work, with all of its value chain and all that comes with it: employment, growth in the economy, among others”, the President’s Chief of Staff added.
Gbajabiamila promised that Nigeria would continue also encourage the United Nations agency’s intervention in higher female gender participation in politics and governance as in some other African countries, noting that doing so could assist Nigeria achieve the desired result without offending sensibilities, cultures and religion.
He appealed to the UNDP to further assist in poverty reduction, education, agriculture and the mining sectors of the country for developmental purposes.
Earlier in her remarks, the UNDP Resident Representative noted the cordial relationship her agency has continued to enjoy in Nigeria, particularly in the past two years of her service in the county.
Attafuah commended President Tinubu’s transformative leadership, describing it as “inspirational and encouraging.”
On the purpose of her visit to the Presidency, she clarified: “We are here to seek how we can continue to position Nigeria, as the leader and giant of Africa; to ensure that we support Nigeria’s development initiatives and aspirations.
“We are here also to reflect on what are some of the things that we can do as the largest development agency in the United Nations family”, the UNDP representative added.
Attafuah explained that with the exit of many donors from the UNDP over the past year, the agency was shifting from a Project-Based approach to Government-Financing, long term thematic approach, stressing that it has become imperative for national governments to take up their own development initiatives through prudent resource utilisation.
She said the UNDP believed that the Made-in-Nigeria policy could serve as a developmental catalyst capable of creating jobs, and driving economic competitiveness, trade and innovation, if implemented well.
The UNDP Country Representative recalled that the UNDP had recently unveiled the University Graduate Hub initiative, through which graduates could upload prototypes of their products and creativity and get financiers.
Attafuah maintained that the agency was also considering its collaboration with the Nigerian government in the education and energy sectors.
