Social development: Organisation wants FG to impact more on grassroots

A Non-Governmental Organisation (NGO) Strategic Outreach Support (SOS) has called on the Federal Government to ensure that the Sustainable Development Goals impact on people at the grassroots.

The Chief Executive Officer of SOS, Mr Uzor Ehikwe, made the call at a-Day Seminar on Influencing Global Policy Implementation for Sustainable Development in Abuja on Saturday.

The seminar with the theme, “Influencing Global Policy Implementation for Sustainable Development” was organised by SOS.

Ehikwe said the event was part of the organisation’s programme to culminate the activities executed by the organisation recently.

“We are basically speaking on influencing global policy implementation for sustainable development, we really want to have more of government participation in providing policy that can help grassroots to thrive and grow.

“Recently, we carried out a programme called Market Women Support Fund, which was a pilot programme that is going to cover all local government areas in the country.

“This is to enable us to provide bridge funds for our women in the rural areas to have business, as well as to provide ease of doing business.

“Government alone cannot do it, and therefore, we must find a way on how the dividend of social development reach more people at the grassroots,” Ehikwe said.

The SOS boss explained that policy always comes from the government, and the nature of the policy is what drives the economy, nation, and the people.

“We are appealing to the government to bring better policies that can help the grassroots thrive because without people, there will be no nation,” he said.

Also speaking, the Minister of Youths and Sports Development, Mr. Sunday Dare, represented by his Special Assistant, Mr. Olufemi Ade-Agbo, said the ministry is doing a lot for the youth.

“Some youths have started accessing the N25 billion ‘Youth Investment Fund’ which was N25 which has been there over three years.

“The scheme provides soft loans without collateral. It is low-interest rate with a moratorium period as well.

”The Programme partners IBM, Microsoft, Google, and others in a digital space to empower the youth.

“Many youths have gathered skills and knowledge and set up their businesses, and others become employers of labor.

“With your phone, you can learn anything and search for opportunities, but there are challenges as well, but it is how they use the opportunities and face the challenges that matter, Dare stressed.

Also speaking, Country Director of SOS, Mr. Raqaz Ivori, said the essence of the event was to enable sustainable development to have a grassroots seamless interjection.

“For instance, development is above the reach of the rural masses, so it is time to bring development to the rural spotlight; to get the rural people to benefit.

“Most of the NGOs and international organizations and communities, hardly get to the grassroots with their policies and programme; we want to change this narrative to carry everyone along,” Ivori said.

Our correspondent reports that officials from the National Directorate of Employment, Ministry of Women Affairs, Nigerian Defence College and many others were in attendance.