The United Nations Deputy Secretary-General, Amina Mohammed says she believes a woman can take over leadership from President Muhammadu Buhari in 2023.
Mrs Mohammed stated this after she led the UN envoy to met with President Buhari at state house on strategies to rebuild Nigeria following the devastations caused by the COVID-19 pandemic.
Speaking on Tuesday during a television programme in Abuja, Mohammed said all Nigerians must come together to rebuild the country, regardless of ethnic or political affiliations.
“We need to recognise what is not right, work towards making it happen and know that we can do this together; individually and collectively we have responsibilities,” she said, adding that there was the need to respect each part of this country as “we all have something of value to offer”.
Mohammed noted that Nigeria can provide the kind of leadership that Africa wants by working towards achieving the UN 17 Sustainable Development Goals by 2030.
When asked whether she would like a woman to succeed President Buhari as Nigerian leader, the UN top official said:
“That is my hope and I do not see that there isn’t a woman that cannot do that. I always believe that you should strive for that aspiration and don’t fail for want of trying.
“So, women should stand up. They have 50 per cent of the votes and if they can convince the ‘hes’ for ‘shes’, the men who support women, then absolutely why not? There is no reason why a woman cannot lead Nigeria.”
Meanwhile, President Buhari has advised Nigerian youths to keep the peace in their own interest as his generation will soon leave the stage for them.
