Matthias Schmale, who serves as the United Nations (UN) resident and humanitarian coordinator in Nigeria, disclosed that the UN had supported 3.6 million vulnerable individuals in the northeastern region during the first half of 2023.
Schmale delivered this statement during a gathering held in Lagos on Tuesday, marking World Development Information Day.
The event, organized by the Africa Centre for Development Journalism (ACDJ), was aimed at journalists and members of civil society organizations (CSOs).
Schmale said while the UN is often criticised for focusing on the northeast, the data emerging made it understandable that the zone needs to be an area of priority for development and humanitarian work.
What he said
- “We are already doing a lot of good work around the country, but we need to scale it up and invest considerably in humanitarian terms, notably in the north-east.
- “We get criticised for being so focused on the north-east, although I think the data presented here today made it understandable why the zone does need to be an area of priority for development and humanitarian work.
- “This year, in the three north-east states, we have already supported 3.6 million vulnerable people with essential humanitarian assistance in the first half of the year.
- “We are very well aware of the considerable number of people across Nigeria who need assistance, and many are facing food insecurity.”
In his remarks, Rotimi Sankore, who serves as the Executive Director of ACDJ, urged journalists to utilize data as a means of ensuring government accountability.
- “We are urging journalists to pay attention to the data and do not let politicians get away with criminal negligence. The houses of assembly are not paying attention to all these data, and these are what we should be looking at”, he said.
