The United Nations has appointed Aliko Dangote, the president of Dangote Group, as one of 27 global leaders to combat malnutrition in the world.
Also appointed with the business mogul is Nigerian Akinwunmi Adesina, the president of the African Development Bank and former agriculture minister in Nigeria.
The appointment was made by António Guterres, the secertary-general of the United Nations, as part of the Scaling Up Nutrition (SUN) Movement committed to fighting malnutrition in all its forms.
According to a statement released by SUN to this effect, the leaders will meet on September 24 to take a decision on the continuation of the SUN Movement into its third phases (2021-2025).
The leaders will also make commitments to achieve its objectives – looking toward the 2020 Tokyo Nutrition for Growth Summit.
One in three people suffer from malnutrition the world over and 149 million girls and boys are stunted, a trend the group is set up to stop and reverse.
The 27 people appointed to the group are:
- Akinwumi ADESINA (Nigeria),
President, African Development Bank - Aliko DANGOTE (Nigeria)
Chairman and CEO, Dangote Group - Manal AL ALEM (Jordan), Chef
- Reem Ebrahim AL-HASHIMI (UAE),
Cabinet Member and Minister of State for International Cooperation - Mercedes ARÁOZ FERNÁNDEZ (Peru),
Vice-President, Republic of Peru - Inger ASHING (SWEDEN),
CEO, Save the Children International - Cherrie ATILANO (Philippines),
Founder and CEO, Agrea Agricultural Systems International Inc. - Alicia BÁRCENA IBARRA, (Mexico)
Executive Secretary, Economic Commission for Latin America and the Caribbean - David BEASLEY (USA)
Executive Director, World Food Programme - Martin CHUNGONG (Cameroon),
Secretary General, Inter Parliamentary Union - Josefa Leonel CORREIA SACKO (Angola),
Commissioner for Rural Economy and Agriculture, African Union Commission - Annette DIXON (New Zealand)
Vice President Human Development, World Bank - Chris ELIAS (United States of America)
President of Global Development, Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation - Shenggen FAN (China),
Director General, International Food Policy Research Institute
- Henrietta H. FORE (USA)
Executive Director, UNICEF and Chair of the SUN Movement Lead Group - Sophie HEALY-THOW (Ireland),
Youth Leader - Daniel KABLAN DUNCAN, (Côte d’Ivoire),
Vice President Côte d’Ivoire - Monica Katebe MUSONDA (Zambia),
Founder and CEO, Java Foods - Jakaya KIKWETE (Tanzania)
Former President United Republic of Tanzania, Kikwete Foundation - Shinichi KITAOKA (Japan),
President Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA) - Maryam MONSEF (Canada),
Minister of International Development and Minister for Women and Gender Equality, Canada - David NABARRO (United Kingdom),
Sustainable Development Facilitator, 4SD - Sania NISHTAR (Pakistan),
Founder and President, Heartfile Foundation - Inia SERUIRATU (Fiji),
Minister of Foreign Affairs, Fiji - Feike SIJBESMA (The Netherlands),
CEO, Royal Dutch DSM - Gunhild Anker STORDALEN (Norway),
Founder and President, EAT Foundation - Gerda VERBURG (The Netherlands),
UN Assistant Secretary-General and Coordinator of the SUN Movement
