Africa is rich, doesn’t need aid – Jimoh Ibrahim

Ambassador Jimoh Ibrahim, the Permanent Representative of Nigeria to the United Nations (UN), says Africa is a rich continent that does not require aid from other continents to develop.

Ibrahim spoke at a reception in honour of Nigeria’s Ahunna Eziakonwa who was appointed a Senior Adviser on Africa to the UN Secretary-General, António Guterres.

The Nigerian diplomat criticised the perceptions of Africa as a beggarly continent for aid.

He said: “Africa consists of 25 percent of the world population. 

“The future of the world is in Africa. 

“That’s something to talk about.

“I will not be part of the people that are talking about aid to Africa.

“Africa is made up of sovereign nations.

“We are independent, and we cannot afford to trade our sovereignty for aid.”

According to Ibrahim, what Africa needs is trade, collaboration, cooperation, and partnership.

He added: “I must thank President Donald Trump for initiating trade and investment as replacements for aid.

“Fantastic programme, so that we can actually capture the essence of our sovereignty and independence.

“I won’t be here to plead for any aid to any African country. 

“We don’t need it. 

“We need collaboration and cooperation and partnership towards human and material development.”

The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that Africa’s participation in the US government’s new “Trade over Aid” programme remains noticeably low.

Of the nearly four dozen signatories, only six African nations have joined the scheme, with Nigeria taking a prominent but measured role.

Ambassador Ibrahim also expressed concerns over Africa’s absence on the permanent seats of the UN Security Council.

He noted that Africa was not on the table when nations were negotiating the power make-up of the UN in 1945 as African countries were still being colonised.

He added: “We agreed but over the past 60 years, Nigeria has been a member of the United Nations, we have spent 60 years here, but we haven’t got this permanent seat.

“Africa doesn’t have a permanent seat and Africa is about 25 percent of the entire world population.

“If you talk about insecurity, maybe because Africa is not on the permanent seat of the United Nations.”

Ibrahim underscored the importance of Eziakonwa to lend her voice to a legitimate permanent seat or seats for Africa in the UN Security Council.

“As adviser on Africa (to the UN Secretary-General), it will be very historic to continue to put your voice at the centre of this engagement,” he said.

The ambassador conveyed the goodwill of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu to Eziakonwa, saying the president was proud and happy about her appointment.

𝕤𝕖𝕖 𝕞𝕠𝕣𝕖/𝕨𝕒𝕥𝕔𝕙 𝕥𝕙𝕖 𝕧𝕚𝕕𝕖𝕠 𝕙𝕖𝕣𝕖