Nigeria achieves 48% in attainment of SDGs, says Presidential Aide

Mrs Adejoke Orelope-Adefulire, the Senior Special Assistant to President Muhammadu Buhari on Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), on Tuesday said Nigeria had remarkably achieved 48 per cent of the goals.

Orelope-Adefulire made the remarks at the scientific conference of the Association of General Private Nursing Practitioners (AGPNP), Lagos State Chapter, in Ikeja, Lagos.

Our correspondent reports that the conference is themed: “Achieving Sustainable Development Goals: The Roles of Nursing Professionals.’’

Orelope-Adefulire, a former Deputy Governor of Lagos State, was represented at the occasion by Dr Ify Ukaegbu, the Special Adviser on Programmes for Sustainable Development Goals.

“SDGs are not up to three years in Nigeria.

“We started SDGs in January 2016, and by 2018, we had already scored 48 per cent, which means that by the time we go further, Nigeria will score more.

“There are areas we still need to improve on; we have 169 targets and all the 17 goals to work on particularly Goal Three, which is we must ensure healthy lives and promote wellbeing for all at all ages.

“If we can address health issues, we can use it to achieve all other goals because when you talk about poverty, education, gender equality, zero hunger, and others, you are also talking about health.

“So by the time we all work together, we will be able to achieve more percentage,’’ Orelope-Adefulire said.

The Lagos State Commissioner for Health, Dr Jide Idris, said that Nigeria could achieve more of these goals by the time every stakeholder collaborates.

Idris said: “If we have attended 48 per cent success with more dedication, I think we can do better and go far; nothing is impossible.

“The 17 goals need a lot of work and restructuring to be done; there is need to address poverty, education, health, sanitation, among others.

“So everybody needs to work in unity passion and dedication to be able to address these issues.

“It requires more money to be put into the health sector and so the government, people, professional bodies, agencies of governments, private sectors and donor agencies, need to put in more efforts to achieve this.’’

In his remarks, the State Chairman of AGPNP, Olaifa Ayo, said that nurses were major stakeholders for the realisation and successful implementation of SDGs.

“The Goal Three is very important and serves as a pivot on which other 16 goals in the SDG rest.

“Health is Wealth goes a popular adage, Nurses are major stakeholders for the realisation and successful implementation of SDGs.

“Nurses have been scientifically trained in Nigeria and globally to handle all occurring cases at the Primary Healthcare Centres.

“I appeal to policy makers to see and view nurses as professionals, who have the mastery and dexterity over their professional callings.

“This will, to a large extent, prevent unnecessary judicial intervention that could slow down the expected progressive and positive results we are all desiring to achieve, the Global Agenda 2030,’’ Ayo said.