Nigeria and other UN Member States have pledged to prevent a repeat of the devastating health and socio-economic crises caused by COVID-19 and shore up the world’s ability to head off another pandemic.

All 193 UN Member States adopted a political declaration at a high-level meeting on Pandemic Prevention, Preparedness and Response at the ongoing 78th session.

Adopting a milestone political declaration at the first-ever summit on pandemic prevention and response, nations also committed to get back on track to reach the 2030  Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs)

“[This] is a historic milestone in the urgent drive to make all people of the world safer, and better protected from the devastating impacts of pandemics,”  Tedros Ghebreyesus, Director-General of the UN World Health Organisation (WHO), said.

“I welcome this commitment by world leaders to provide the political support and direction needed so that WHO, governments and all involved can protect people’s health and take concrete steps towards investing in local capacities, ensuring equity and supporting the global emergency health architecture that the world needs.”

The declaration was the result of months of intense negotiations to refine and agree on actions at the national, regional and global levels. It will be submitted to the General Assembly in due course for formal endorsement.

The political declaration asserts the need for Member States to conclude negotiations on a formal agreement on pandemic prevention, preparedness and response, known also as the Pandemic Accord – and make targeted amendments to International Health Regulations – by May next year.

It also calls on States to address the negative, physical and mental health impacts of health-related misinformation, disinformation, hate speech and stigmatization, especially on social media platforms.

Instead, it calls for public information campaigns based on science and the facts.

Member States also committed to strengthening health work forces and rapid response capacities, surveillance, and local manufacturing abilities, so countries can meet their own needs to prevent, prepare for and respond to pandemics.

Speaking at the summit, UN Secretary- General, Antonio Guterres, recalled that the global response to COVID-19 showcased both human ingenuity and exposed society’s shortcomings.

While rapid test and vaccine development were notable achievements, there were also a lack of preparedness, disproportionate impacts on the world’s poorest and vaccine hoarding by wealthy nations.

“We must not repeat the mistakes of the past when the next pandemic strikes – as we know it will – and other health threats emerge,” he said.

Reiterating the importance of the declaration, the UN chief urged countries to support the WHO, including increasing their financial contributions.

Tinubu Attends NASDAQ, Rings Closing Bell

President Bola Tinubu on Thursday, rang the bell at the National Association of Securities Dealers Automatic Quotation System (NASDAQ), becoming the first African Head of Government to do so.

The president rang the bell at the world’s financial capital, New York and became the first African President to perform such task.

NASDAQ is world’s second largest stock exchange.

Tinubu, while performing the task, was in company of  some Nigerian business leaders and officials of the Nigerian Exchange Ltd. (NGX).

The President also used the opportunity, presented by the historic moment, to advance his foreign investment push in front of financial markets at the famous stock exchange.

“It’s a great honour for me to be here. I am happy to bring Nigeria to your doorsteps and I am honoured that we are here, today, with a bubbling Nigerian stock market that will evolve in the West African sub-region.

‘’The greatest economy in Africa is Nigeria. There is an immense opportunity in Nigeria, where you can invest your money without fear,” the President said.

He said that his government would address longstanding problems and impediments, such as the recent economic policies taken since assumption of office in May.

He said these include restoration and unification of the foreign exchange rate market to a stable and trustworthy level.

According to him, this will allow new investors to bring their money and be free of worries about whether they can take it out at any point in time.

“You’re free to take in your money and bring out your money. I count on you to invest in Nigeria,” the President said.

Tinubu Woos Investors at Nigeria-US Business Roundtable

President Bola Tinubu has assured prospective investors of his administration’s determination to adopt necessary fiscal and regulatory measures toward the ease of doing business in Nigeria.

At the Nigeria-U.S. Executive Business Roundtable, the President said he recognised that investment capital is cowardly in nature.

He said that was the reason behind his bringing successful Nigerian industrialists and public officials to share their experiences and operational plans, respectively.

Tinubu said this was in addition to all he had done to boost the confidence of the global investment community in Nigeria, by reforming the fiscal, monetary, regulatory and tax policy environment.

“Nigeria is an opportunity that is impossible to replicate or find elsewhere in any part of the world. We have brilliant young people who both innovate and consume at a large scale.

‘’Our entrepreneurial spirit is a major part of what makes our market totally unique, aside from demography.

‘’Nigerians build businesses and Nigerian businesses partner with other businesses to conduct larger business.

‘’There is enough value to spread around. Be careful of what you hear about Nigeria. You may be dissuaded out of a major opportunity that others will take up.

‘’We are here for you. We will give you all the support you need to succeed and succeed abundantly,” the President said.

On behalf of the U.S. Government, U.S. Deputy Treasury Secretary Wally Adeyemo, told U.S. business leaders he came back from Nigeria on an official visit that later became a fact-finding mission.

“In Lagos, I saw, first-hand, some of the major reforms you implemented as the Governor of Lagos and the transformative effect on Nigeria’s commercial capital.

‘’People have attested to the fact that the reforms you have put in place as President are quickly enhancing confidence.

‘’American business is paying attention to that and from what we have seen for ourselves, Nigeria is proving to be a new frontier for investment.

‘’We will encourage our companies from our end as those reforms continue to deepen,” Adeyemo said.

The American Business Council President, Mr Sops Ideriah, said that the extensive turnouts at the roundtable by American business chief executives was impressive.

According to him, the turnouts served as a testament to the degree to which confidence is rising in response to the actions and words of the President.

He said that this was with respect to ease of doing business, investment promotion, and his willingness to intervene to clear the historical concerns of American business people about doing business in Nigeria.

“Having all the stakeholders in the room, His Excellency, the President of Nigeria being here, from government actors at the federal and state level to ministers and tax authorities present, as well as private sector industrialists in Nigeria.

‘’We are very positive about the potential of Nigeria and we are just reinforcing to our colleagues the message about the economic opportunities that exist there,” Ideriah said.

Acting Chairman of the Federal Inland Revenue Service (FIRS), Mr Zacch Adedeji, assured the American captains of industry that the nation’s apex tax authority would not focus on taxing the seed.

He said it would focus only on the proportionate taxation of the fruit of fully formed industry, through efficient policy synergy with Nigeria’s sub-national authorities.

“The President is a business enabler, not a handicapper. Everything we do will be geared toward making your tax assessment and payment processes as digitally efficient and transparent as possible.

‘’We are not after the seed, but the fruit and we will keep to this commitment,” Adedeji said.(NAN)