Yemisi Izuora
The United Nation, UN, has said it will provide Nigeria with adequate security support plan and facilitate cooperation in the area of social services as well as partnership collaboration that will help the government actualise its inclusive economic agenda.
Speaking on the expected cooperation, the UN resident coordinator in Nigeria, Mr. Edward Kallon said the UN has just finalised its Sustainable Development Framework which aligns with Nigeria’s economic development plan.
Kallon who was at the Federal Institute of Industrial Research Oshodi, FIIRO said the UN partnership framework looks at the economic recovery framework of the country, adding, “we want to link the framework to the Sustainable Development Growth, SDG to foster growth development in Nigeria”.
The coordinator, said between 2018 To 2030, the UN will provide significant security support to Nigeria. “We are looking at three broad areas of cooperation and they include, peace, security and human rights, social services and inclusive economic growth”.
Nigeria he said is too big to fail and its success is for the benefit of entire Africa, but regretted that the country is lately considering diversification of her economy. “Nigeria has the potentials to lead Africa but the government concentrated efforts on oil development for years, now with the diversification the country will begin to look inward and develop its agriculture potentials but again it should not neglect the manufacturing and solid mineral sectors”.
Kallon said he was inspired by the achievement recorded by FIIRO which he said will spur economic development if those developed research results are fully commercialised.
“We want to see technology made aviator young entrepreneurs who will work to transform these into productive opportunities. I want to emphasize that partnership is central and key and we intend to partner with key research institutions like FIIRO as they are critical for innovation and development” Kallon said.
Speaking further, the Coordinator said, ” I am inspired by FIIROs achievement and indeed new ground breaking innovations in Africa these will certainly help Nigeria actualise its economic recovery plan and vision 202020″.
Earlier, the director general of FIIRO, Dr. Gloria Elemo said, ” There is no doubt, that your visit today will redefine our collaboration with many United Nations organizations such as the United Nations Industrial Development Organization, UNIDO, United Nations Development Programme, UNDP etc. I am saying this with all sense of responsibility considering your many years of working experience in many nations at the World Food Programme, WFP, prior to your recent appointment as the UN Resident Coordinator for Nigeria”.
Elemo said FIIRO being a research institute with one of its core mandates in research and development into food and agro allied processing technologies stand to be very relevant to the activities of the WFP and so many UN organization.
The DG disclosed that the Institute has developed over 250 technologies and has worked virtually on all indigenous agro commodities and solid minerals adding value to them to enhance their economic values and benefits.