The United Nations Deputy Secretary-General, Amina Mohammed, has said she has never heard President Bola Tinubu complain about the difficulties he met from his predecessor when he assumed office.
She made this remark at an award dinner held at the Nigeria House in New York, United States, to mark Nigeria’s 65th independence anniversary as well as the Independence Day Parade and Carnival.
According to her, Tinubu “fought hard to get to that seat”, recalling his well-known remark that “it was his turn.”
Mohammed added: “But he also told us that he wasn’t going to complain about what he got. I have not heard him complain. People around him complain about what he inherited but he doesn’t.”
She stressed that Tinubu “is the president of Nigeria. It is God that put him on that seat. It is, therefore, incumbent upon us to get behind him and do the best we can for Nigeria. Except you’re trying to tell me that God made a mistake.”
The deputy UN chief congratulated Nigeria and its citizens on the 65th independence anniversary, expressing optimism that the country has a bright future ahead.
She remarked that Nigeria is “a work in progress” at 65 years and emphasized that nation-building is the responsibility of its people, whether at home or abroad.
Mohammed cautioned against the “pull-down syndrome,” noting that constant negativity only damages the nation’s image. She urged Nigerians to highlight the country’s strengths, stressing: “Nigerians are the hardest working, most ambitious, and proud people.”
The former Nigerian Minister of the Environment highlighted the contributions of African women at the UN and other global institutions in uplifting humanity.
She encouraged Nigerians in the diaspora to return not just as visitors, but as stakeholders and investors committed to development.
Mohammed, who will complete her two-term, eight-year tenure as deputy to UN Secretary-General António Guterres on December 31, 2025, said she is looking forward to returning home to contribute to Africa’s progress.
She added: “I hope that all of you will pray for my safe return home again next year, because there are things to do at home. There are things to do on the continent, and we have to go back, and we have to shape that.”
The UN deputy chief further called for youth empowerment, noting that young people make up 70 percent of Nigeria’s population. She insisted on the need for “intergenerational dialogue” where leaders listen to the youth and support them with wisdom and experience.
She particularly underscored the importance of women’s inclusion in peace and development efforts. According to her, Nigeria cannot reach its full potential without fully engaging women.
Mohammed said: “And that means that Nigeria is flying on half a wing. We have an eagle. It’s only got one wing, and the other wing has to be lifted for us to fly higher. So women count. They count not just because of the numbers, but because of using the value of professional women, or women at home, or rural women or women in politics. Let’s not lose the other half because without it, we will not stand. We will not fly by itself.”
She also commended the Federal Government’s decision to introduce the Chinese language into Nigeria’s school curriculum, describing it as timely given China’s significant role in global trade.
