UN Reveals Aid to 3.6 Million in Nigeria's Northeast Amid Urgent Call for Development Focus
At a gathering celebrating World Development Information Day in Lagos, the United Nations' Resident and Humanitarian Coordinator in Nigeria, Matthias Schmale, highlighted the UN's support for 3.6 million vulnerable individuals in the northeastern region. Despite criticism, Schmale emphasized the region's dire need for priority in development and humanitarian aid. The event also stressed the importance of utilizing data for government accountability and urged journalists to ensure attention to crucial information for effective governance and support for the most vulnerable across Nigeria.
UN Coordinator Reveals Support for 3.6 Million in Nigeria's Northeast Amid Development Day Gathering.
During a World Development Information Day event in Lagos organized by the Africa Centre for Development Journalism (ACDJ), Matthias Schmale, the United Nations' Resident and Humanitarian Coordinator in Nigeria, emphasized the critical efforts the UN has undertaken in supporting vulnerable populations in the northeastern region. He disclosed that in the initial half of 2023, the UN had assisted 3.6 million individuals in this region alone.
Schmale addressed the criticism often directed at the UN for its focus on the northeast, highlighting that the presented data justified the concentration of efforts in this area. Emphasizing the urgency, he stressed the necessity to further scale up humanitarian investments, particularly in the north-east, despite the existing commendable work throughout the country.
He acknowledged the widespread need for humanitarian aid across Nigeria, especially food security issues, indicating a broader concern beyond the northeast. Rotimi Sankore, the Executive Director of ACDJ, echoed this sentiment, urging journalists to leverage data for government accountability. Sankore emphasized the need for media scrutiny to prevent political negligence, calling on journalists to hold authorities accountable and focus on legislative bodies' attention to crucial data.
The call for using data as a tool for government oversight and the plea to prioritize the most vulnerable populations across Nigeria underscored the urgency for sustained attention and resource allocation in both developmental and humanitarian aspects, particularly in the northeastern region, where the need remains acute.
