President Bola Tinubu has hailed the creation of the Global Alliance Against Hunger and Poverty, championed by President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva of Brazil. The Nigerian President also emphasized the urgent need for the United Nations Security Council reform to ensure its continued relevance in global interventions.
Making a statement on Monday at the 19th G20 Leaders Summit opening session in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, Tinubu described the alliance as pivotal in the global fight against hunger and poverty, lauding the initiative and describing it as the right step to address one of the world’s most significant challenges.
Part of his address reads, “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 organisations, 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.”
President Tinubu expressed Nigeria’s desire to embrace foreign best practices to further its economic development, comparing the global endeavour to one of the eight priority areas he listed before his inauguration eighteen months ago.
Nigeria’s support of the pledge to join the Global Alliance, according to President Tinubu, is a major milestone in the country’s efforts to combat poverty and hunger by utilizing global resources and collaboration to support domestic initiatives.
He continued by saying that Nigeria’s support for the program shows a strong commitment to achieving the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), especially SDG 2 (zero hunger) and SDG 1, which focus on ending poverty.
According to him, “These goals are at the core of Nigeria’s development agenda, and the Alliance offers a platform to accelerate progress towards them
“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.”
To guarantee the UN Security Council’s continued importance in international initiatives, President Tinubu highlighted the urgent need for change while reaffirming Nigeria’s ability and willingness to represent Africa in this regard.
After admitting the African Union as a group member, he urged the G20 to support this admirable goal.
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 now wears the toga of a forward-looking international institution that upholds reform-minded multilateralism.
He particularly praised the G20’s decision to give the African Union permanent membership and for continuing the custom of asking new nations to join the club.
He claimed that the chance for more open and productive conversations to solve common global issues is made possible by this widespread engagement.
“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 emphasized that Nigeria, together with other members of the African Group, supported a historic UN move by advocating for a framework Convention on Tax to create a more inclusive and equitable international tax system.
He asked the G20 to pay attention to the request for reforming the international financial architecture made by nations, particularly those in the global south.
“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.
