Sule restates commitment towards achieving SDGs

Gov Abdullahi Sule of Nasarawa State has restated his administration’s commitment towards achieving the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), through various intervention programmes in the state.

Sule stated this at a one-day sensitisation workshop on the establishment of Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), Innovation/ Accelerator Hub, North Central Zone in Nasarawa State, on Wednesday in Lafia.

The governor said that his administration remained focused on implementing policies and programmes aimed at providing quality healthcare, improving education and eradicating poverty and inequality amongst citizens.

He said the state had also keyed into the various Federal Government intervention programmes geared towards improving the welfare and wellbeing of citizens.

“To us in Nasarawa State, the Social Intervention Programme as articulated by the Federal Government is in conformity with our quest to liberate our people, especially the downtrodden, from excruciating poverty,” he said.

Sule said the state had designed welfare programmes aimed at achieving Social Safety Nets and domesticated the Conditional Cash Transfer scheme and others intervention programmes to impact positively on the common man in the state.

“It is pertinent to state that, this effort is in line with the goals of SDGs of ensuring zero hunger, provision of healthcare service delivery, better and qualitative education, reducing inequality and reduction in economic vulnerability,” he said.

He pointed out that his administration’s quest to create jobs and eradicate poverty, has provided an enabling environment for investment, which had attracted big investors such as the Dangote Group, Azman Rice Ltd, and Flour Mills of Nig. Plc among others.

The governor commended the Senior Special Assistant to the President on SDGs, Adejoke Orelope – Adefulire, state SDGs office, United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) and other development partners for the establishment of the innovation hub in the state.

Also speaking, Dr Amarakoon Bandara, Senior Economic Adviser, United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) Nigeria, congratulated Nasarawa State for hosting the hub.

Bandara said SDGs required the support of stakeholders from all sectors to achieve its mandate.

He, therefore, called on the private sectors to support government in formulating SDGs alliance policies and also help through their corporate social responsibility.

Also, Mr Murtala Mohammed, Senior Special Assistant to Gov. Sule on SDGs, called on relevant stakeholders to support government in creating friendly policies that would help in achieving the 2030 goals.

“The achievement of SDGs requires synergies from every sector – government, private investors, academia, religious bodies, traditional institutions, communities leaders, civil society, NGO, people living with disabilities, youths and women groups,” he said.