On Monday the 9th of November, 2020, Amina Mohammed, Deputy Secretary-General of the United Nations encouraged women to succeed President, Major General Muhammadu Buhari in the forthcoming elections in 2023, on a television programme in Abuja.
Mohammed Amina had met with the president in Aso Villa, Abuja, to map out strategies on how to restore the country due to the ruins caused by the Covid-19 pandemic. She also stated that the unity of Nigerians is crucial to the rebuilding and restoring of the country regardless of our differences.
“We need to identify what is wrong and with individual and collective responsibilities, put in efforts to make things work. “We all have the capacity to provide a helpful service,” she said.
Mohammed stated that an effort to realize the United Nations Sustainable Development goals by 2023 can help in providing Nigeria with the government that Africa desires.
“It is my hope that a woman succeeds Buhari and I do not see a woman unable to do that. I believe you should aspire for this and strive to succeed at it. So women should arise because their votes count by up to 50 per cent and if they can convince the males for the females together with the men who already reinforce women, then there would be no reason for a woman not to be the next president of Nigeria.”
Amina who was also the former Minister of Environment of the Federal Republic of Nigeria added that “beyond Nigeria needing a male or female leader, she needs a Nigerian, someone who sees the strength and the togetherness of Nigeria and works towards advancing and practically realizing her set goals at the state and local government levels.
This will require a lot of effort and intentionality and it is not impracticable for a woman to do.”The 24th president of Liberia, Ellen Sirleaf was a woman who led Liberia from 2006 to 2018 and she is respected for occupying the position of the first elected female head of state in Africa.
There is no doubt that Mohammed Amina’s comment is timely for Nigerians as Minister, Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala has just become the first of her kind to hold the position of the director-general of the World Trade Organisation.