Nigeria expresses ‘steadfast’ commitment to achieving SDGs

Ms Adejoke Orelope-Adefulire, Senior Special Assistant to the President on SDGs, says Nigeria is steadfastly committed to the attainment of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).

Orelope-Adefulire stated this at Nigeria’s side event at the 72nd Session of the UN General Assembly tagged: `Localising SDGs Through Partnership Innovation and Resource Mobilisation’.

The presidential aide enumerated several progress made by the various arms and tiers of the Nigerian Government to the attainment of the global goals by 2030.

The SDGs, otherwise known as the Global Goals, are a universal call to action to end poverty, protect the planet and ensure that all people enjoy peace and prosperity.

The successor programme to the Millennium Development Goals, has a set of 17 global goals with 169 targets, which implementation commenced on Jan. 1, 2016 to Dec. 31, 2030.

Orelope-Adefulire said: “In order to strengthen the institutional mechanism for SDGs implementation, the Presidential Council on SDGs was recently inaugurated with President Muhammadu Buhari as the Chairman.

“This signifies unwavering commitment at the highest level of Government to the Global Goals.

“The Presidential Council will provide direction and support the overall implementation of the SDGs Agenda.

“To deepen stakeholder engagement, Nigeria has already established standing committees at both the upper and lower chambers of the National Assembly to provide oversight function for SDGs implementation.

“The Private Sector Advisory Group on SDGs as well as the Donors’ Partnership Forum on SDGs has since commenced work after their inauguration.

“Synergies are also being built with sub-national Governments to ensure that global policy translates to action at the grassroots.

“Similar partnerships are being envisaged for other groups within the Nigerian development space in order to leverage resources and mobilise the critical mass needed for the successful implementation of the SDGs”.

She said Nigeria’s affirmation of the SDGs Declaration was backed with action as government provided the leadership required to ensure the agenda delivers the intended impact without leaving anyone behind.

According to her, the SDGs align with Nigeria’s development priorities, having been integrated into its planning and budgeting frameworks through its “robust mainstreaming” into Nigeria’s Economic Recovery and Growth Plan.

“Nigeria has defined a clear path to the successful implementation of the 2030 Agenda as succinctly underscored in the MDGs End-Point Report, the Country Transition Strategy on SDGs and its Implementation Plan.

“Nigeria has made significant strides in meeting data requirements needed to benchmark progress by mapping existing SDGs data and by establishing baseline statistics for more than 126 SDGs Indicators.

“In view of the magnitude of the resources needed for success, Nigeria is expanding the fiscal space for SDGs implementation.

“This is by conducting a Needs Assessment and Costing exercise in order to provide evidence for effective resourcing of the 2030 Agenda,” she said.

Orelope-Adefulire said as the world marked the second anniversary of the SDGs, it has now become urgent to scale up implementation efforts for success.

The presidential aide stated that there was no effort too great to spare in the drive to attain the SDGs.

She warned that failure to achieve the SDGs had dire consequences for the current generation and for those yet unborn.

“We are thus the generation at the threshold of history saddled with the responsibility of bringing about the change that will alter our development trajectory for the benefit of people and planet.”