President Bola Tinubu delivered his inaugural address at the United Nations General Assembly (UNGA) on Wednesday, emphasising the importance of Africa overcoming foreign exploitation and achieving prosperity through democratic ideals.
He said the continent seeks to be neither a mere appendage nor a patron.
“We do not wish to replace old shackles with new ones,” Tinubu said during his first ever address to the assembly on the first day of the 78th session held at the UN Headquarters.
Addressing other heads of government, including US President Joe Biden and Ukrainian leader Volodymyr Zelensky, President Tinubu spoke on the theme “Rebuilding Trust and Reigniting Global Solidarity: Accelerating Action on the 2030 Agenda and Its Sustainable Development Goals Towards Peace, Prosperity, Progress, and Sustainability for All.”
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Tinubu highlighted that despite numerous proclamations, “our troubles remain close at hand.” He attributed Africa’s challenges to failures in good governance and decried the impact of broken promises, unfair treatment, and exploitation from abroad on the continent’s progress.
He emphasised the significance of this year’s theme for Africa, given its unique historical context. President Tinubu also traced the establishment of the United Nations, linking it to the aftermath of the Second World War, when global trust in institutions was at its peak.
“Today and for several decades, Africa has been asking for the same level of political commitment and devotion of resources that described the Marshall Plan,” he said.
“We realise that the underlying conditions and causes of the economic challenges facing today’s Africa are significantly different from those of post-war Europe.”
