By Chibuike Nwabuko
ABUJA (PRECISE POST) – Vice President Kashim Shettima has assured Costa Rican candidate for the position of United Nations Secretary-General, Rebeca Grynspan, that Nigeria’s support for candidates in the contest will be guided by equity, justice and fairness.
Shettima gave the assurance when he met with Grynspan shortly before his return to Nigeria from New York, United States.
The Vice President said Nigeria would support a candidate who would promote Africa’s aspirations in global affairs, particularly the continent’s quest for representation in key international decision-making bodies and the strengthening of multilateralism.
He said he would recommend Grynspan’s candidature based on several considerations, including Nigeria’s longstanding relationship with Latin America and the importance of gender inclusion.
“Thank you for seeking Nigeria’s perspective for your candidature of 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,” Shettima said.
He stressed the need for reforms to the global governance architecture, noting that while the world had changed significantly since 1945, the structure of global institutions had yet to adequately reflect Africa’s growing population and interests. Shettima said Africa, with a population of more than 1.3 billion people, deserved greater representation in global decision-making.
Earlier, Grynspan, who met with the Vice President to solicit Nigeria’s support, said she was seeking to lead the UN in implementing reforms being demanded by countries, particularly those 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.
The Costa Rican diplomat pledged that her candidature would prioritise peace and give urgent attention to Africa’s aspiration for permanent representation on the UN Security Council.
Nigeria, Netherlands deepen financial inclusion partnership
In a related development, Nigeria and the Netherlands have agreed to deepen cooperation on financial inclusion, particularly for women and vulnerable groups.
The agreement was reached during a bilateral meeting between Shettima and Queen Maxima of the Netherlands in New York.
Queen Maxima also serves as the UN Secretary-General’s Special Advocate for Financial Health.
Under the proposed collaboration, the Netherlands will deploy its expertise and experience in financial health to support Nigeria’s financial inclusion programmes.
Shettima welcomed the offer, describing the Netherlands’ focus on financial health and inclusion as timely, given its links to education, security and poverty reduction.
He cited the conditional cash transfer programme and agricultural schemes among initiatives being implemented by the Federal Government to expand financial inclusion.
The Vice President also noted that government policies had positioned some of Africa’s leading fintech companies to play important roles in expanding access to financial services for excluded Nigerians.
Defending the economic reforms of President Bola Tinubu’s administration, Shettima said the measures were necessary given the condition of the Nigerian economy when the administration assumed office in 2023.
Queen Maxima acknowledged what she described as strong growth in the Nigerian economy under the Tinubu administration and commended efforts aimed at improving financial inclusion.
She pledged the Netherlands’ support through the sharing of expertise and experience in areas including insurance, credit guarantees and data generation.
According to her, financial health initiatives are designed to strengthen citizens’ resilience, protect their investments and expand access to insurance.
She also urged private-sector stakeholders to consider the financial health of their customers as critical to the sustainability and growth of their businesses.
The Minister of Finance, Taiwo Oyedele, also said the government’s policies on insurance and pensions, alongside recent measures announced by the Central Bank of Nigeria, would help improve access to and reduce the cost of credit.
He added that the Tinubu administration was pursuing financial inclusion as part of efforts to enable poor Nigerians to improve their livelihoods.
