Deji Elumoye in Abuja
President Bola Tinubu has obtained the proposed $14 billion funds of the United Nations (UN) from Nigeria’s Permanent Representative, Senator Jimoh Ibrahim.
The occasion passed off on Sunday on the official residence of the president on the State House, Abuja.
Ibrahim, who’s Chairman of UN General Assembly’s Fifth Committee on Administrative and Budgetary Matters, offered the seven-volume doc to the president after the UN Secretary-General submitted it to the committee final week.
The former senator described the presentation as historic, saying it was the primary time in 66 years that Nigeria would chair the committee accountable for the UN’s funds and administration.
His phrases: “This is the primary time in 66 years that Nigeria will chair the Budget and Administrative Committee. It is the primary time, and we have no idea when it should occur once more in historical past.
“So President Bola Tinubu is making history by being able to receive this budget. He is the first Nigerian president in 66 years to receive the UN budget from the United Nations.”
According to Ibrahim, the proposed common funds stands at about $3.4 billion, whereas the peacekeeping funds is about $8.5 billion and the mixed determine stands at about $14 billion, roughly N36 trillion to N40 trillion.
“It is not a small matter for a country to receive the entire UN budget. So I am happy that the president has received the seven volumes of the proposed budget.”
The envoy mentioned the doc remained a proposal and would nonetheless endure detailed negotiations and approval by member-states earlier than implementation.
“This is a proposed budget. It is the proposal submitted to member countries. Thereafter, the budget is discussed in detail, the figures are adjusted, and the final budget is approved before spending commences,” he defined.
Ibrahim was not forthcoming on Nigeria’s anticipated advantages from the funds, saying negotiations along with his colleagues had been nonetheless ongoing.
“As for Nigeria, I do not want to discuss what Nigeria will get from the budget. That would be going too far, because my colleagues and I are still discussing it.”
The envoy, nonetheless, pointed to the size of UN spending, noting that the organisation was presently constructing a $260 million convention centre in Kenya.
Accirding to him, “A lot is happening. As of today, the United Nations is building a $260 million conference centre in Kenya. You can see what that means.”
