African nations especially Nigeria has through its adherence to the UN charter and participation in its activities expressed unflinching commitment to the purposes and objectives of the United Nations.
For us and indeed other Africans the UN was seen as an embodiment of the collective hopes and aspirations of men and women and everywhere for a world free of war, free of want and free of injustice.
I commend efforts by the helpless and powerless secretary generals like Kofi Annan to give the world body a new lease of life because there was critical issues, such as global poverty, international peace-keeping, regional economic integration, the environment and climate change challenges, migration and refugees as well as global health problems for which there could be no lasting solution without intensification of international co-operation.
In order to preserve and sustain the relevance of the UN to Africa and the developing world, the world economic powers and powers that be in the UN security council must eliminate the present reality in which a large section of humanity is economically exploited and politically under-represented.
The dearth of expected international support despite bold steps at economic reforms had amounted to increasing impoverishment, marginalization and alienation of the African continent.
