The UN Deputy Secretary-General, Amina Mohammed, has urged Nigerian youths to be patriotic and stop condemning Nigeria.
Ms Mohammed, also the UN Sustainable Development Group chairwoman, said this on the sidelines of a public lecture on Thursday in Abuja. According to her, young Nigerians must always speak positively about the country.
“I agree with you that the potential in this country has not been met, and we could have done much better with this government, with the past government, and with the government before. What I disagree with is people going about saying there is no hope and condemn everything about the country. So, to say nothing is happening, define what you mean by nothing.
Mind what you say because it has impacts on people’s lives. Some people take it seriously, whether what you say is true or not. It is, therefore, important to always consider the implication of what you want to say about your country is before saying them,” she said.
Amina Mohammed is a Nigerian diplomat and politician who is serving as the fifth Deputy Secretary-General of the United Nations.
Prior to her appointment, Ms. Mohammed served as Minister of Environment of the Federal Republic of Nigeria from 2015 to 2016 where she steered the country’s efforts on climate action and efforts to protect the natural environment. She was a key player in the Post-2015 Development Agenda process.
She first joined the United Nations in 2012 as Special Adviser to former Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon with the responsibility for post-2015 development planning. She led the process that resulted in global agreement around the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development and the creation of the Sustainable Development Goals.
Amina Mohammed began her career working on the design of schools and clinics in Nigeria. She served as an advocate focused on increasing access to education and other social services, before moving into the public sector, where she rose to the position of adviser to four successive Presidents on poverty, public sector reform, and sustainable development.
Ms. Mohammed has been conferred several honorary doctorates and has served as an adjunct professor, lecturing on international development. The recipient of various global awards, she has served on numerous international advisory boards and panels. She is the mother of six children and has two grandchildren.
