. As UN Women worry about feminized poverty
By Stanley Onyeka, Lagos
Nigeria’s former Permanent Representative to the United Nations, Ibrahim Gambari, has charged African leaders to define problems, find solutions and develop institutions.
Prof. Gambari, who was Chief of Staff to former President Muhammadu Buhari, delivered the Realnews 12th Anniversary Lecture and Investiture into the Realnews Hall of Fame, on Tuesday in Lagos.
The lecture was entitled: “Africa in World Shifting Geopolitics: Matters Arising on Demography, Technology, Artificial Intelligence, Natural Resources,” attracted dignitaries from all walks of. Life – public, private, faith and the media.
Mr. Gambari, who also criticised the prescriptions from various power blocs, particularly the Burtonwood institutions noted that these policies have not helped Africa to address its problems.
He said: “It is about time we defined our own problems, defined the ways to resolve them. We are not rejecting partnership (from the West or East) but partnership in which we are real partners is what we need, not a master-servant relationship.
“The world is changing. The international community is evolving. The relationship between the global north and the global south is changing. We cannot disagree that these are times that require a lot of thinking.”
Mr. Gambari’s observations come even as the UN Women condemned the feminization of poverty in Africa and Nigeria.
The Country Representative UN Women to Nigeria and ECOWAS, Beatrice Eyong, called for increased access to services in health, education and technology, among others, for women.
She also decried other issues affecting demography – wars, inadequate technology and high gender inequality, and corruption and their effects on women and children.
Ms. Eyong, who was also the Chairperson of the occasion, condemned gender-based violence and gender inequality and charged Africa to aspire to become prominent in the shifting geopolitics.
For Mr Gambari, the acceleration of globalisation processes was accompanied by some discontent, including a growing crisis of poverty and inequality that have sustained calls for global governance, development and security reforms and produced some anti-globalisation sentiments and declining power.
Against this backdrop, the diplomat advocated multipolarity and multilateralism that would accommodate various interests.
He insisted that Africa must be given its rightful place at the United Nations, adding: “Africa is the only continent with no permanency in the UN Security Council.”
It is about time we defined our own problems, defined the ways to resolve them. We are not rejecting partnership (from the West or East) but partnership in which we are real partners is what we need, not a master-servant relationship.
African resources
On competition for African resources and demography, Gambari said that African should re-adjust its politics to take advantage of its demography while empowering women and giving them due share.
He continued: “With over a billion people, and with an overwhelmingly youthful population, the African continent is destined for a significant role in the demographics of the world.
“I believe that we should take advantage of the African demographic dividend in a new season of global geopolitics.
“This means that the countries of the continent must build national and regional strategies to leverage the energy, the innovative acumen and the futuristic vision of the young people.
“This is important in order to ensure that a new world order takes place in which we are positioned to become rule makers.”
To this end, Mr. Gambari called for strengthening of African institutions and continuing the fight for reform of the United Nations and international financial institutions.
He said: “Let’s strengthen our own institutions. The African Union is there to be strengthened. We have the African Development Bank.
“Successful African institutions sometimes raise the tendency of outsiders wanting to take over. Let us strengthen ECOWAS.
“Let us strengthen African economic communities so that they become the pillars on which an eventual African economic community will be built, so as to make the reality of the African Continental Free Trade Area.”
The keynote speaker and Executive President of Policy Centre for the New South, Rabat, Morocco, Karim Ayanoui, decried the fragmentation of Africa in every dimension including security.
This, he said, has impacted the value chain – economy, military spending, demography and technology.
Dr Ayanoui called on Africa to prepare for the future with sustainable fiscal and micro-economy policies, adding that huge investment in education can help the people to deal with challenges.
A technologist and innovator, Shehu Tijjani, called on Africa to invest heavily in education to harness the potential in information technology and Artificial Intelligence.
He said: “For Africa, the talents are there but basic infrastructure are not available. The continent has the potential and material and can play a critical role if we harness them.”
Also speaking, Hadiza Usman, a former Managing Director, Nigerian Ports Authority (NPA), and Special Adviser on Policy Coordination to President Bola Tinubu, charged Africa to use her population as a global asset, while creating an enabling environment for women to participate in the continent’s developmental program.
Earlier in her welcome address, Publisher/Editor of Realnews, Maureen Chigbo, commended the guests, speakers and participants for honouring the anniversary invite, adding that the lecture remained a forum for transformational discussions.
