Nigeria Pushes for Sustainable UN Funding as Africa Bears Heavy Development Burden
By Matthew Eloyi
As developing countries grapple with mounting economic pressures, poverty, unemployment and the growing demands of sustainable development, Nigeria has renewed calls for a stronger and better-funded United Nations development coordination system, insisting that global commitments must be backed by predictable and sustainable financing.
At the centre of Nigeria’s position is the UN Resident Coordinator System, a mechanism considered critical to ensuring that the activities of various UN agencies are properly coordinated and aligned with the development priorities of individual member states.
Nigeria believes that without adequate and reliable funding, the system may struggle to deliver on its mandate, particularly in developing regions such as Africa, where the need for coordinated international development assistance remains significant.
The country made its position known at the 10th plenary meeting of the Fifth Committee (Administrative and Budgetary Committee) of the 81st Session of the UN General Assembly in New York, where the proposed 2027 programme budget for the Resident Coordinator System came under consideration.
Delivering Nigeria’s National Statement on Agenda Item 138, titled “Proposed Programme Budget for 2027: Resident Coordinator System”, the Head of the Civil Service of the Federation, Mr Olumuyiwa Abel, described strengthening the system as a shared responsibility in advancing multilateralism and improving the effectiveness of the UN development architecture.
According to Abel, a well-resourced Resident Coordinator System is indispensable to ensuring that UN development support is coherent, effective and responsive to the national priorities and needs of member states.
He argued that adequate, predictable and sustainable financing would enable the system to maintain its core coordination capacities, retain institutional expertise and empower Resident Coordinators to discharge their responsibilities effectively.
Beyond the funding question, Nigeria’s intervention also drew attention to the disproportionate importance of the system to Africa.
Of the 132 Resident Coordinator Offices operating worldwide, 53 are located in Africa, representing approximately 40 per cent of the system’s global geographical presence.
For Nigeria, this significant presence reflects the continent’s dependence on effective international development partnerships in addressing its numerous economic and social challenges.
“The extensive presence of the system in Africa underscores its critical role in supporting countries to implement their national development priorities, the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development and the African Union’s Agenda 2063.”
The statement highlights the connection between international development coordination and Africa’s long-term development ambitions. The continent’s Agenda 2063, alongside the UN’s 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development, requires not just ambitious policy declarations but sustained institutional support, technical expertise and financial resources.
However, Nigeria’s position suggests that these objectives cannot be achieved if the institutions responsible for coordinating development assistance are themselves inadequately funded.
Consequently, Abel called on countries of the Global North to fulfil their development assistance commitments, urging major donor nations to sustain and substantially increase their core contributions to the UN development system.
He specifically advocated predictable, sustained and multi-year funding arrangements, which would allow the system to plan effectively, preserve institutional capacity and deliver development programmes without unnecessary financial uncertainty.
The argument is particularly relevant at a time when developing countries are confronted with competing demands for resources, while the international development landscape faces increasing pressure to deliver measurable results.
A properly funded Resident Coordinator System, Nigeria maintains, would help prevent fragmented interventions by different UN agencies and ensure that development assistance is directed towards clearly defined national priorities.
Abel reiterated Nigeria’s commitment to constructive engagement with other member states in efforts to strengthen the system and promote a more effective and adequately resourced multilateral development framework.
“Nigeria reaffirmed its readiness to engage constructively in the consideration of the reports and in initiatives aimed at strengthening the system and promoting a more effective, responsive and adequately resourced multilateral development framework,” he said.
Beyond the substance of its intervention, the session also carried considerable diplomatic significance for Nigeria.
The UN Secretary-General’s report on the Resident Coordinator System was presented by the Deputy Secretary-General, Ms Amina Mohammed, a Nigerian, while Nigeria’s Permanent Representative to the UN, Ambassador Jimoh Ibrahim, chaired the Fifth Committee.
The two positions gave Nigeria a notable presence in the discussions surrounding the future of the UN development coordination framework.
The development also presents an opportunity for Nigeria to deepen its engagement in multilateral affairs and champion the interests of developing countries, particularly African nations.
Ultimately, Nigeria’s message is that sustainable development requires more than international declarations and ambitious targets. It requires strong institutions, effective coordination and, most importantly, reliable financial commitments.
For Africa, where 53 UN Resident Coordinator Offices are working to support national development priorities, the question of adequate funding is not merely an administrative or budgetary concern. It is central to the continent’s ability to translate its development aspirations into tangible improvements in the lives of its people.