The resident coordinator of the United Nations Information Centre (UNIC) in Nigeria, His Excellency Mr. Ronald Kayanja on the 8th February, 2017, made a visit to the Nigerian Institute of International Affairs (NIIA). With him on the visit was the National Information Officer in UNIC Mr. Oluseyi Soremekun. They were received on arrival by the Director General, Professor Bukar Bukarambe. The resident coordinator was briefed by the Director General on the mandate and activities of the institute and was also conducted on a tour of the institute’s various departments.
The resident coordinator had earlier interacted with the research fellows of the institute on the mandate and activities of his office which according to him was established in 1967, as part of the branch offices of the United Nations Department of Public Information. The United Nations Information Centre, Nigeria, is one of the networks of United Nations Information Centres in 63 countries, helping to link the headquarters of the United Nations with people around the world. He told the research fellows that UNIC also works in partnership with other United Nations field agencies, members of civil society and business groups, to stimulate and engage them actively on issues of concern to the United Nations. Both governmental and non-governmental organizations in Nigeria count on UNIC as partners in organizing key events, including seminars, exhibits and commemoration focusing on such key issues as human rights, education, the environment, gender, drug prevention and health. He commended the robust and solid representation of Nigeria at the United Nations Committee levels in New York and said that Africa has the largest UN peace keepers in the world. In conclusion, the resident coordinator solicited for better and improved formalization of relationship between NIIA and UNIC. He said the two agencies can collaborate and deal with issues such as; youth, peace and security, sustainable development goals 2030 and the Paris agreement on climate change and that recently the world food programme had come back to Nigeria because of hunger. The visit came to an end with a vote of thanks by the Director General NIIA.
