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From Juliana Taiwo-Obalonye, Abuja
The Nigerian government has pledged unwavering support to Maryam Bukar Hassan, Nigeria’s newly appointed United Nations Global Advocate for Peace, in her mission to advance peace and unity worldwide.
Vice President Kashim Shettima, speaking on Monday in Abuja, lauded Maryam — a Nigerian spoken word artist and peace advocate — as a deserving choice for the historic UN role, the first ever across the UN’s Peace and Security Pillar.
According to a statement by his media aide, Stanley Nkwocha, during a courtesy visit by Maryam and her team to the Presidential Villa,Shettima highlighted her consistent commitment to peace, referencing her widely acclaimed video “Violence has no Religion.” He said, “That is the Nigeria of our dream. I have watched that particular video more than a hundred times because it’s very inspiring. To me, it is the crowning glory of her career.”
Drawing inspiration from former US House Speaker Tip O’Neill’s phrase that “all politics is local,” the Vice President also praised Maryam’s focus on addressing challenges in her home state of Borno, describing this localized approach as “equally inspiring.”
Expressing full government support, Shettima stated, “On behalf of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, I want to warmly welcome you and thank you from the bottom of my heart for the great work you’re doing for the UN. And most importantly, on behalf of the President, I want to assure you that the present administration is a pro-youth administration, and we will do whatever it takes to support your cause.
“Be rest assured, Maryam, that you’re not alone. We’re in this together, and whatever support you need, we’ll give you. You are promoting peace; you are promoting unity, not creating disunity.”
He added, “Believe me, the grass is not greener on the other side. We can make this country great. God has blessed us with enormous human and material resources, and when we properly handle them, we can really transform lives in this country.”
Maryam, leading the delegation, expressed her mission to bring the message of peace globally, with a special focus on Nigeria, saying, “Nigeria is grappling with so many security challenges … I want to start with my own country. This is the reason for our visit. We are trying to showcase what we are doing and to know how we can do this together, as this is not something that we can do alone.”
She further stressed the importance of collaboration with the federal government to create an enabling environment for their peace advocacy projects.
A member of Maryam’s delegation detailed plans for the next two years, stating, “The major work Ms. Maryam will do is to build a coalition of people in order to bring together many other young voices. We will be working with creative people around the world who will help share information about how they can build peace.”
