President Bola Tinubu has commended the creation of the Global Alliance Against Hunger and Poverty, championed by President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva of Brazil.
Tinubu portrayed the coalition as crucial in the global battle against hunger and destitution.
He communicated this statement at the 19th G20 Leaders Summit opening session in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil.
He commended the initiative and portrayed it as the right move to address one of the world’s most significant challenges.
“This bold and visionary step underscores Brazil’s leadership in addressing one of the most urgent and persistent challenges facing our world today.
“The creation of this Alliance marks a significant milestone in our global efforts to eradicate hunger and poverty, and it also sends a powerful message of solidarity to vulnerable populations around the globe.
“By fostering collaboration between governments, international organizations, and civil society, this initiative offers a comprehensive approach not only to addressing immediate needs but also tackling the structural causes of hunger and poverty,” he said.
President Tinubu compared the global initiative to one of the eight priority areas he outlined at his inauguration 18 months ago, communicating Nigeria’s willingness to take on global best practices to propel its economic development.
As indicated by President Tinubu, Nigeria’s endorsement of the declaration of commitment to team up with the Global Alliance is a crucial move in its endeavours to address hunger and destitution, by taking advantage of international cooperation and assets to support domestic strategies.
He added that by backing the initiative, Nigeria likewise displays a strong commitment to understanding the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), particularly SDG 1, which centres around eliminating destitution, and SDG 2, which aims to achieve zero hunger.
“These goals are at the core of Nigeria’s development agenda, and the Alliance offers a platform to accelerate progress towards them”, President Tinubu said.
“By collaborating with international partners, Nigeria aims to leverage best practices, innovative solutions, and financial support to enhance its efforts to combat poverty and hunger. The endorsement reinforces Nigeria’s role as a key player in global efforts to promote sustainable development and improve the quality of life for all its citizens,” President Tinubu said.
President Tinubu underscored the critical need for the United Nations Security Council (UNSC) reform to guarantee its continued relevance in global mediations.
He emphasized Nigeria’s willingness and capability to represent Africa within this tip-top.
He called on the G20 to support this respectable ideal, having admitted the African Union as a group member.
Tinubu said, “ The Security Council should expand its permanent and non-permanent member categories to reflect the world’s diversity and plurality. Africa deserves priority in this.
“The Security Council should expand its permanent and non-permanent member categories to reflect the world’s diversity and plurality better.
“Africa deserves priority in this process, and two permanent seats should be allocated to it with equal rights and responsibilities. Nigeria stands ready and willing to serve as a representative of Africa in this capacity.”
In the statement read on his behalf by the Minister of Foreign Affairs, Ambassador Yusuf Tuggar, President Tinubu noted that the G20 currently wears a robe of a forward-looking global institution that upholds reform-minded multilateralism.
He particularly commended the decision by the G20 to grant permanent membership to the African Union (AU) and for its consistency in supporting the tradition of welcoming guest nations to join the group.
This broad interest, he said, gives room for the opportunity of more inclusive and viable discussions to address shared global challenges.
“Some permanent members of the Council have shown promising signs of support for this process, which is a positive development. We welcome this shift in attitude and call for a faster pace to the long overdue change.
“The world faces various challenges, including extreme poverty, inequality, climate change, terrorism, and global conflicts.
“These issues are exacerbated by longstanding inequities in the global governance system, which have led to unsustainable sovereign debt and distortions in access to capital markets, trade imbalances, unfair representations and hindered development in the Global South.
“It is our responsibility to find pragmatic solutions to fix these imbalances.
“Particularly pressing is global taxation, which profoundly impacts developing countries.
“The current international tax system, largely shaped by the interests of more affluent nations, often leaves developing countries at a disadvantage, especially in taxing digital economies.
“This systemic imbalance has led to significant revenue losses, hampering our efforts towards sustainable development and economic self-reliance,” the Nigerian leader said.
President Tinubu highlighted that Nigeria, alongside other African Group member states, championed a notable initiative at the United Nations: requiring a framework Convention on Tax to lay out a more impartial and inclusive global tax framework.
He urged the G20 to take into account the call by nations, particularly those of the global South, to reform the international financial architecture.
“Multilateral institutions must be revamped to bridge the gap between the Global North and South. This is the path for the future and one the G20 must champion. Nigeria is committed to being part of that future through active participation in the G20 and our steadfast support for achieving SDG 2030 targets,” the President added.
