SUN 26 SEPT, 2021-theGBJournal- The Federal Government of Nigeria and Africa’s leading retail bank Access Bank Plc. have backed international advocacy organisation, Global Citizen, on its Recovery Plan for the World, which is focused on ending COVID-19 for all, ending the hunger crisis, resuming learning for all, protecting the planet, and advancing equity for all.
Minister of Finance, Budget, and National Planning, Zainab Ahmed, and Group Managing Director of Access Bank, Herbert Wigwe, made the pledge of commitment at the Global Citizen Live concert held in celebration of healthcare workers who are at the frontline of the coronavirus pandemic in Lagos on Saturday.
Global Citizen Live is part of a once-in-a-generation day of unity with artistes, celebrities and world leaders coming together to create change and impact climate and poverty. The 24-hr broadcast event features performances and speeches from locations around the world, including Lagos, London, Los Angeles, New York City, Paris, Rio de Janeiro, Seoul, Sydney and more. A-list Nigerian artistes, Femi Kuti, Davido, Tiwa Savage, Made Kuti and Seun Kuti all performed at the Lagos show hosted by TV personalities Ebuka Obi-Uchendu and Nancy Isime.
“As we work towards pandemic management and recovery, it is clear that our progress relies on recognizing the intersectionality of these challenges,” noted the Nigerian Finance Minister while addressing the audience and stakeholders. “From working towards more inclusive societies, to defending the planet against the impact of climate change, we all must work together to ensure we build back better. We must also put our people and planet at the heart of our public policy and fiscal reform agenda.”
On steps being taken by the Federal Government, Ahmed said: “Recognizing the role of responsive public financial management, we have prioritized entrenching processes that are more gender sensitive and are responsive to the needs of those who are amongst the most vulnerable in the Nigerian society. Through various initiatives we have deployed tools to scale social safety net programmes, to mitigate the risk of children – particularly girls – not returning to school, and to support small businesses and safeguard jobs. But we know that there is still a long way to go and much to do.
Ahmed also stated that there is powerful emerging data that links the empowerment of women and education of girls to better climate outcomes. “This is why today we are committing to promoting double mainstreaming of gender and climate responsive policy making in our public financial management processes by 2025. Working with our relevant agencies, we will also institute climate budget tagging by 2023 to raise awareness and highlight climate change related policies across all sectors and to assess gender and climate inclusiveness in fiscal policy implementation.”
Similarly, Access Bank CEO, Herbert Wigwe, said that the bank aligns with Global Citizen’s Recovery Plan. “We are committed to building a sustainable and brighter future for all. We are financing environmentally friendly projects and technologies, launching green products, and encouraging the adoption of green initiatives by all our employees—myself included. We issued the first Climate Bonds Initiative’s Corporate Green Bond valued at N15billion, about $41million in Africa to finance and refinance environmentally friendly projects, such as renewables, which would lead to an estimated annual reduction in greenhouse gas emissions by 730.”
Wigwe listed other green projects, including the flood defense system in Lagos to protect over 400,000 residents from flooding. “These are some of our efforts in the global fight against extreme poverty. This concert is about giving back to the world. So, whether you are here physically or virtually, you are now part of the global fight against extreme poverty. Let’s remember always that we are first humans, and as individuals and businesses, we have an obligation to drive the recovery of our planet, and to end extreme poverty. Working in isolation will not move the needle, but together, we can move the world –one action at a time!”
Global Citizen Live is part of Global Citizen’s 2021 global campaign, a Recovery Plan for the World. The campaign is supported by a corporate coalition, including Access Bank in Nigeria, alongside global partners Accenture, Cisco, Citi, The Coca-Cola Company, Delta Air Lines, Google, Live Nation, P&G, Salesforce, Verizon, and campaign partners Hilton, WW International, and World Wide Technology who will engage support from the private sector in driving new commitments toward the campaign’s policy objectives.
Global Citizen is the world’s largest movement of action takers and impact makers dedicated to ending extreme poverty by 2030. With over 10 million monthly advocates, our voices have the power to drive lasting change around sustainability, equality, and humanity. We post, tweet, message, vote, sign, and call to inspire those who can make things happen to act — government leaders, businesses, philanthropists, artists, and citizens — together improving lives. By downloading our app, Global Citizens learn about the systemic causes of extreme poverty, take action on those issues, and earn rewards with tickets to concerts, events, and experiences all over the world. For more information, visit GlobalCitizen.org.
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