Disappearing Giant: Nigeria a non-factor at today’s UN Food Summit

Nigeria was again this afternoon a non-factor at the United Nations Headquarters in New York as Member States held a High-Level Summit to discuss world food security.

“There is more than enough food in the world,” United Nations Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon said in his opening statement, “Yet today, more than one billion people are hungry.”

He warned, “This is unacceptable.”

The discussion was led by the Secretary General and US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton. It involved high-level international stakeholders, including Heads of State.

While Member States were heading to the United Nations Trusteeship Council for the Summit, which was billed for 4 p.m. local time, Nigeria’s sick and troubled leader, Umaru Yar’Adua, was returning to Abuja from an “official visit” to Saudi Arabia that Saharareporters has exposed as a medical trip.
Nigeria has been conspicuously missing in the most important multilateral events during Yar’Adua’s tour of duty as national “leader.” Earlier this week, Nigeria was a mere observer at the big United Nations Summit on Climate Change, which was held before the start of the 64th General Assembly general debate. To make for a more interactive discussion during the Summit, the UN Secretary General invited all Heads of State and Government to send in pre-recorded video statements to be posted on the UN website and on Youtube. Yar’Adua sent no video statement, and did not show up.

It would be recalled that earlier this week, Nigeria missed the High Level Summit on Climate Change.

Similarly, last September, Nigeria similarly missed critical UN Summits. That includes the High Level Meeting on Africa’s Development Needs which discussed: “Africa’s development needs: state of implementation of various commitments, challenges and the way forward,” and the High Level meeting on the Millennium Development Goals. They were held on the 22nd and 25th of September 2008.

Today’s summit on food security followed the July G8 Summit in Italy where 26 countries and several international organizations agreed on comprehensive and coordinated support to country-led food security strategies, and pledged $20 billion to that effort.

This afternoon, Summit participants, who were expected from about 100 interested countries, hoped to work to take the initiative further and nail down implementation strategies. That Nigeria did not participate at the required level tells a lot about the attitude of its leadership.

Global food concerns continue to stir the conscience of the international community. On January 27, in Madrid, at the High-Level Meeting on “Food Security for All,” Mr. Ban observed that in 2008, food prices rose so high that basic rations were beyond the reach of millions of people.

“By the end of the year, the total number of hungry people in our world approached an intolerable 1 billion,” he told that meeting. “The statistics are startling, but the stories of each household affected by hunger, and each malnourished child, are truly appalling.”

He noted that the images of hunger never cease to disturb him: “Parents cutting down on the food they eat to ensure their children have enough. Households selling their animals, land or even homes to buy food. Mothers struggling each day to protect their children from the physical and mental scars of malnutrition.”

Mr. Ban stressed: “World poverty cannot be reduced without improvements in agriculture and food systems. Most poor people are farmers. Most farm work is done by women. And those efforts contribute significantly to the domestic product of poor countries.”

Describing continuing hunger as “a deep stain on our world,” he said farmers could produce more food if had help with credit, seeds, fertilizers and land security.

And he laid down the challenge concerning hunger: “The time has come to remove it -- forever. We have the wealth and know-how to do so. Let us do our utmost to keep hunger at the centre of the political lens. History will judge us on our response.”

Uncaring and seemingly unconcerned about these important issues, Nigeria consistently moves its political lens elsewhere. Among them: while Nigeria universities are closed, Yar’Adua justified his visit to Saudi Arabia with the excuse he would attend the opening of a university there. The president’s party is busy in Anambra State, where some of the nation’s worst thieves are queuing up for next year’s governorship tussle race.
Foreign Minister Ojo Maduekwe is representing Nigeria at the 64th session of the United Nations General Assembly. He will speak towards the end of the general debate next week.

Next year, the UN will host a special summit to discuss the implementation of the Millennium Development Goals, with only five years left for implementation. Yar’Adua has a confused policy on the subject; last April he said Nigeria will not meet the development targets by 2010, but a few weeks ago, a government official coordinating the MDGs said Nigeria would need four trillion Naira per year between now and that date to implement the strategy.

It is not known if Yar’Adua will show some bravado and attend next year’s MDGs summit, or quietly avoid it as his People’s Democratic Party hunts for funds with which to manipulate the 2011 general elections.

http://www.saharareporters.com/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=3808:disappearing-giant-nigeria-a-non-factor-at-todays-un-food-summit&catid=1:latest-news&Itemid=18