Matthias Schmale, the United Nations (UN) Resident and Humanitarian Coordinator in Nigeria, has emphasized the importance of revitalizing Nigeria’s food systems to address widespread food insecurity in the country. President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s recent declaration of food security as a national emergency was seen as a positive step, with Schmale hoping it would lead to meaningful investment in agriculture to tackle rising food prices and shortages.
Speaking about the Africa Social Impact Summit, organized by the Sterling One Foundation in collaboration with the UN in Nigeria on August 10 and 11 in Lagos, Schmale called on all stakeholders to join hands in formulating a rescue plan for the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). He urged federal and state governments, the private sector, development partners, and other critical stakeholders to generate new ideas and solutions to benefit the most vulnerable citizens and accelerate progress towards the 2030 Agenda.
Abubakar Suleiman, the Managing Director/Chief Executive Officer of Sterling Bank, highlighted the significant impact of the Africa Social Impact Summit, providing a platform to translate available capital and resources into meaningful and sustainable development work.
Schmale noted that Nigeria has the potential to feed itself and that food insecurity solutions should not solely rely on international food aid. To mitigate the impact of fuel subsidy removal and the resulting increase in the cost of goods and services, the United Nations is prepared to support the Nigerian government in designing both impactful palliative measures and long-term strategies to boost sustainable agricultural production.
The Africa Social Impact Summit is a crucial step towards the global SDG Summit to be held in New York in September. Schmale emphasized that this summit provides global leaders with an opportunity to move from rhetoric to action and to address the needs of the world’s most vulnerable populations. Urgent action is necessary to ensure that the 2030 Agenda does not become an unfulfilled promise to those in need.
Adepeju Ibekwe, the Chief Executive Officer of Sterling One Foundation, revealed that the first edition of the Africa Social Impact Summit surpassed expectations in terms of attendance, outcomes, and impacts within the development ecosystem.
