Kalu reaffirms Nigeria’s role in shaping global trade governance

Nigeria’s Deputy Speaker of the House of Representatives, Hon. Benjamin Kalu, on Tuesday reiterated Nigeria’s resolve to shape the future of global trade governance.

Hon. Kalu, who joined the World Trade Organisation (WTO) Director-General, Dr Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala, at the 55th session of the Steering Committee of the Parliamentary Conference on the WTO at the Inter-Parliamentary Union (IPU) Headquarters in Geneva, Switzerland, gave the assurance.

This significant participation comes on the heels of Kalu’s membership of the WTO Steering Committee, alongside fellow members from eight other countries, including the European Parliament.

Hon. Kalu is participating in the Steering Committee meeting to strengthen parliamentary engagement and interaction with the work of the WTO, led by its Director-General, Dr Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala from Nigeria.

The Deputy Speaker’s involvement aligns with the United Nations’ Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), which aim to end poverty, protect the planet, and ensure peace and prosperity for all.

He said: “I am honoured to join Dr Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala, Director-General of the WTO, alongside fellow Steering Committee Members from eight other countries, including the European Parliament, on this global assignment to strengthen parliamentary engagement and interaction with the work of the WTO.

“I remain committed to ensuring that Africa’s voice, and Nigeria’s voice in particular, resonates strongly in shaping the future of global trade governance.

“Our mission is to reinforce multilateralism, advance fair and inclusive trade, and guarantee that no nation is left behind in the evolving global economy.”

Hon. Kalu will also reinforce Nigeria’s position on multilateralism and advance fair and inclusive trade, which are expected to have a positive impact on Nigeria’s economy as well as its standing in global trade.

It will be recalled that the Deputy Speaker, who led Nigeria’s delegation to the high-profile meeting of the IPU in New York, United States, in February this year, advocated for a review of the current funding structure of the United Nations (UN), citing the need for a more balanced and truly multilateral system.

Submitting Nigeria’s contributions to the IPU’s draft resolution at the meeting, Kalu noted that the prevailing dependency on a few major donor countries allows them to dictate priorities, thereby undermining the principles of multilateralism.

Specifically, the Deputy Speaker proposed a reform to reduce the undue influence of major donors and promote more equitable decision-making, stressing that this would, in turn, facilitate greater cooperation and collective action in achieving the UN’s Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).

He said, “Nigeria calls for a review of the current funding structure of the United Nations. The prevailing dependency on a few major donor countries allows these nations to dictate priorities—embodied in the adage ‘he who pays the piper dictates the tune.’

“To ensure a balanced and truly multilateral system, the funding participation scope should be expanded to include a broader range of nations, thereby reducing undue influence and fostering equitable decision-making.”

Arriving in Switzerland on Tuesday for the ongoing 55th Steering Committee of the Parliamentary Conference on the WTO at the IPU Headquarters in Geneva, Kalu reaffirmed his commitment to reinforcing multilateralism and advancing fair and inclusive trade systems.

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