President Tinubu: Putting the Nation First

By Keem Abdul

As far as the gathering of global movers and shakers is concerned, the United Nations General Assembly (UNGA) is without parallel. If you’re a Head of State or Government (or both), the UNGA is the place to be at this time. It is the place in which to see – and be seen by – the world’s political, economic and cognitive elite. Even the annual gatherings of the World Economic Forum (WEF) or of the Bretton Woods institutions, namely, the World Bank and the International Fund (IMF) pale in comparison with the UNGA in terms of the scope of the discourses among speakers, panelists and other resource persons about the current state of the world in general, and the relationship among individual nations. The UNGA – held annually at the headquarters of the United Nations in New York, USA – is an opportunity for national leaders to present their country’s unique perspectives on both local and international issues. On a personal level, it is an opportunity to network and connect at the highest levels of human interaction. The UNGA has over the years evolved into an eventful weeklong diplomatic extravaganza attracting wealthy and influential individuals from around the world to address various humanitarian and environmental to business and political issues.

It is, in short, an occasion no national leader wants to miss.

Therefore, the decision by Nigeria’s President Bola Ahmed Tinubu to skip the meetings of the 79th Session of the UNGA could not have been an easy one. But as a response to the prevailing circumstances in his country, it couldn’t be more expressive of the state of the nation as a result of a set of negative occurrences (and the prevalence of adverse factors), and the President’s heartfelt connection to the impact of these occurrences and factors on the Nigerian people.

In a statement from the President’s Special Adviser on Information and Strategy, Mr. Bayo Onanuga, Tinubu was forgoing the trip in order to “focus his attention on domestic issues and address some of the country’s challenges, especially after the recent devastating flooding” that ravaged various parts of the country. In his stead, the statement added, Vice-President Kashim Shettima would lead Nigeria’s delegation to the annual summit. The summit, whose theme this year is: ‘Leaving No One Behind: Acting Together for the Advancement of Peace, Sustainable Development and Human Dignity for Present and Future Generations’, will run from Tuesday, September 24, through Saturday, September 28, 2024 under the joint leadership of the UNGA President, Philemon Yang of Cameroon and UN Secretary-General Antonio Gutteres.

The President’s decision comes in the wake of his recent return from a two-week trip abroad , which took him to China and the United Kingdom. Recall that during the trip to Beijing, the Chinese capital, Tinubu and his Chinese counterpart, Xi Jingping, signed five Memoranda of Understanding (MoUs), which cut across trade, infrastructural investment, media cooperation, and security improvement. The President also met with the British monarch, King Charles III in London, where they discussed issues pertaining to climate change. And yet, in spite of its obvious and apparent benefits, the extended trip (coming at a time when the country is faced with biting economic hardship and the aforementioned flood disaster) had attracted criticism from various quarters in the country.

Tinubu’s action in sitting out the 79th UNGA in New York is an eloquent testimony to the fact that, contrary to insinuations in certain quarters, he was not impervious to public opinion, especially if it is motivated by concern for the welfare of Nigerians, and grounded in facts and accurate information. Of late, the clamour among Nigerians in the face of the present hardships is that political office-holders should cut down on the cost of governance – including the frequency of trips abroad. It will be morally indefensible, critics contend, for people in authority to continually exhort the rest of the populace to ‘tighten their belts’ while they (the ruling elite) continue to bask in the lap of luxury. Well before the UN summit, the President had already hinted that, henceforth, only officials whose roles are directly relevant to the import of a foreign engagement would be permitted to embark on such engagements.

From the standpoint of the UN summit, reports from New York show that the President’s prudent, quality-conscious approach is already making an impact at ongoing deliberations on the sidelines of the summit, with Nigerian envoys and businesspeople actively marketing the country’s abundant opportunities at the UNGA, touting Nigeria’s strategic location, abundant resources, dynamic population and commitment to reforms aimed at positioning her as a prime destination for investors, and encouraging would-be investors to forge partnerships in transformative projects across various sectors including agriculture, infrastructure, technology, healthcare and renewable energy.

Though he wouldn’t be physically present in New York to participate in the highly-anticipated Summit of the Future and the deliberations around the theme, ‘Leaving No One Behind: Acting Together for the Advancement of Peace, Sustainable Development and Human Dignity for Present and Future Generations’, or in the high-level debates on The 17 Sustainable Development Goals as well as other pressing challenges such as climate change, poverty and inequality, and how best to tackle the impacts of ongoing conflicts and global health crises, many of the challenges being addressed at the 79th UNGA resonate deeply with the challenges he faces as head of the Nigerian government. The afore-mentioned flooding apart, President Tinubu is being confronted with a cocktail of challenges, which require bold leadership, visionary policies and concerted efforts. The five most pressing challenges, in their view, are:

Power: The Tinubu administration, they say, must implement reforms to enhance the sector’s efficiency, promote renewable energy sources, and attract private sector investment.

Boosting Local Production and Manufacturing: To this end, experts contend that the Tinubu administration must incentivise domestic production, reduce import dependency, invest in infrastructure, provide access to affordable credit, and streamline regulatory processes.

Insecurity: Apart from strengthening the law enforcement agencies, government must enhance intelligence-gathering capabilities, foster community engagement and instill confidence among citizens. It must also adopt a holistic approach to address the root causes of insecurity, including poverty, unemployment, and social inequality.

Food Inflation: Experts believe that investing in irrigation infrastructure, providing access to credit for smallholder farmers, and supporting agribusiness initiatives will mitigate food inflation and ensure food security for all.

Restructuring the Polity: The Tinubu-led government must embrace inclusive governance structures and implementing constitutional reforms that reflect the aspirations of all Nigerians towards achieving lasting peace and stability.

Thankfully, the President has, time and again, acknowledged the urgency of his assignment, and repeatedly urged Nigerians to exercise patience as his administration’s economic reforms begin to take effect. While the times are difficult, he has said, they present vast opportunities to build a more sustainable economy. Rather than an economy in distress, the President sees an economy undergoing transformation and on the right economic trajectory.

His confidence is not misplaced; already, his reforms have led to increased government revenues, enhanced funding for various social and economic support programmes (including the proposed new minimum wage) and attracted over $30bn worth of foreign direct investments into sectors such as manufacturing, telecommunications, healthcare, oil and gas, among others.

It is the confidence of all well-meaning Nigerians that if Tinubu continues to demonstrate the political will and courage he has shown so far, as well as his willingness to accommodate sound advice from other patriotic Nigerians on the way forward, then the country is on track, not just to recover from its current challenges, but to erect the building-blocks of sustainable and lasting prosperity.