Governor Mohqmmed Bago of Niger State was on Vice President Kashim Shertima’s delegation to New York for the 79th United Nations General Assembly (UNGA79). He speaks on the gains for Nigeria and his State’s participation at the global event among other issues. Newsquest brings the excerpts:
Q: What are the major takeaways from this global event?
This outing has been very successful for the sub-nationals and for the country, because we have been able to unlock opportunities as it affects Sustainable Development Goqls (SDGs). We know the challenges of food insecurity, the challenges of nutrition, what has to do with health, and so on.
So, we have been able to interact, owing to the integrity of the United Nation. In the United Nation development program, (UNDP), will be able to bring philanthropists who can bring in resources to alleviate the suffering of our people in terms of shelter, in terms of technology for education, and medicine.
You know, primary health care centers and so many other people we have met here, and they have shown commitment to roll out programmes in Nigeria, especially as it relates to carbon market.Carbon market, because we don’t understand that a lot of transition is going on from fossil fuel to renewable energy in Nigeria.
It has been a serious challenge for us to be able to get the carbon incentives for those. And here, we have been able to unlock that, and we have been given the road map on how to go about it, to secure this funds.
Q: Implementation has always been the challenge. Are you also looking at ensuring that these MoUs, agreements, and collaborations are deeply implemented?
Yes, definitely, because, if you look at what happened in the last General Assembly, vis- a-vis what is happening now, you will see that this summit of the future is a follow up to last year’s meeting. And most of the things we did today, we did not reinvent the wheels. What we are doing today, is to make sure that those things that we have put as agenda, we have timelines for them, and, we will follow up on them for delivery.
