Yemi Alade, Nigerian Afrobeats singer has been named Goodwill Ambassador for the The United Nations Development Programme (UNDP).
According to Achim Steiner, UNDP’s administrator, the Mama Africa crooner will focus on raising awareness about the socio-economic impact of COVID-19 among women in developing countries.
“We can’t wait to hit the ground running with you, Yemi. We look forward to hearing and sharing the issues that you are passionate about — including women’s empowerment and tackling inequality,” he said.
“We at UNDP will also be working to amplify your voice on the socio-economic impact of COVID-19 in developing countries and the importance of a green and equitable recovery for all.”
On her part Yemi Alade declared her readiness to lend her voice to vulnerable women in developing countries like Nigeria.
“Women are among the 4 billion people who are trying to survive COVID-19 without any form of social protection,” she said.
“I want to lend my voice to these women and other vulnerable people who make up half of the world that’s struggling to make ends meet. They don’t have the luxury of working from home and are putting their health at risk just to put food on the table.
“But as we address poverty and inequality in our COVID-19 recovery plans, we can’t put climate change on the back burner.
“Climate change and poverty go hand-in-hand, and neither is gender-neutral. Women in developing countries, such as my homeland Nigeria, are disproportionately affected by both.”