The Nigerian government has pledged its full support to Maryam Bukar Hassan, a Nigerian spoken word artist and peace advocate who was recently appointed as the first-ever UN Global Advocate for Peace. The appointment marks the first time anyone has held the role across the entire UN Peace and Security Pillar.
Vice President Kashim Shettima announced the government’s commitment on Monday during a courtesy visit by Hassan and her team to the Presidential Villa. Shettima described Hassan’s appointment as “well deserved,” highlighting her consistent advocacy for peace, notably through her viral video, “Violence has no Religion.”
“That is the Nigeria of our dream, and she has been consistent,” Shettima said, praising Hassan’s efforts. “To me, [the video] is the crowning glory of her career. I have watched that particular video more than a hundred times because it’s very inspiring.”
Shettima, who referred to the Tinubu administration as “pro-youth,” assured Hassan of Nigeria’s “unflinching support” for her work.
“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,” he stated. “Be rest assured, Maryam, that you’re not alone. We’re in this together, and whatever support you need, we’ll give you.”
Hassan, who is from Borno state, expressed her desire to prioritize peacebuilding efforts within Nigeria before expanding her work globally. She noted that Nigeria faces numerous security challenges and that her visit was to explore how the federal government could collaborate with her group to create a favorable environment for their advocacy projects.
“Nigeria is grappling with so many security challenges, and as far as my work is concerned, I am to go global and want to start with my own country,” Hassan said. “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.”
A member of her delegation added that over the next two years, Hassan’s work will involve building a coalition of young, creative voices from around the world to share information and strategies for building peace.
