By Fatima Saka
Nigeria has called for innovative funding mechanisms, including stronger private-sector partnerships, to sustain humanitarian and development interventions amid dwindling resources available to the United Nations.
The Minister of State for Foreign Affairs, Ambassador Sola Enikanolaiye, made the call on Tuesday, September 2, 2026, when the UN Resident and Humanitarian Coordinator in Nigeria, Mr Mohamed Malick Fall, paid him a courtesy visit in Abuja.
Enikanolaiye said the changing global strategic environment required innovative thinking and broader partnerships to mobilise resources for sustainable development and humanitarian responses.
He also reaffirmed Nigeria’s unwavering support for the United Nations and the principles of the UN Charter, stressing that the country valued its relationship with the Organisation.
The minister commended the UN for its sustained support to Nigeria through its agencies, funds and programmes, particularly in vulnerable communities and areas affected by humanitarian challenges.
He described the UN as a strategic partner in humanitarian action, development cooperation and peacebuilding, noting the impact of its interventions in Nigeria and other parts of the world.
“For us as a country, we value our relationship with the United Nations. We participate actively in the maintenance of international peace and security and in advancing the other purposes for which the UN was established,” he said.
Enikanolaiye added that Nigeria would continue to engage with the UN because its work supports Nigerians and contributes to the country’s development.
“I wish to pledge our total support for the United Nations,” he stated.
Earlier, Fall, who is expected to conclude his assignment in Nigeria later this year, described the country as his “second home,” having served in Nigeria for nearly a decade, first with UNICEF and subsequently as UN Resident and Humanitarian Coordinator.
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He commended Nigeria’s contributions to the UN, describing the country as a committed member state and a strong advocate of the Organisation’s ideals.
Fall particularly recalled Nigeria’s historic role in regional peacekeeping through the Economic Community of West African States Monitoring Group (ECOMOG), saying it demonstrated the country’s leadership in promoting peace and security in West Africa and beyond.
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