The European Union (EU) Ambassador to Nigeria and ECOWAS, Gautier Mignot, has said development and humanitarian assistance are not sufficient to ensure sustainable development in countries, especially in achieving the 2030 United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).

Mignot said this was reason why the EU was leveraging private investments and private resources through its Global Gate – way Strategy, to ensure the rest of the world, and in particular Nigeria’s critical sectors of energy, agriculture, education, health, and digital were supported to bring sustainable development to the people.

Speaking when the EU Delegation engaged with students and school officials at Skyline University in Kano State, Mignot however highlighted that the insufficiency does not takeaway the critical roles the assistance play in developmental initiatives in itself.

He said the EU was the first provider of official development aid globally. He added: “More or less, 42 percent of the Official Development Assistance (ODA) comes from the EU and its Member States.”

The EU official called for cooperation betwaeen the EU, Nigeria, and Africa, notting that only through cooperation and shared interests and values – respect for individual rights and human rights, respect for the rule of law, civil liberties, and democracy – will the continent, particularly Nigeria, achieve sustainable development in all its sectors.