The implementation of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) must be measured in order to ensure better life for all people and accelerate the attainment of the SDGs by the target date of 2030.
The Senior Special Assistant to the President on Sustainable Development Goals (SSAP-SDGs), Her Excellency, Princess Adejoke Orelope-Adefulire made this known during her meeting with SDGs Desk Officers of Ministries, Departments and Agencies (MDAs) to review the SDGs Implementation Guidelines for MDAs in her office.
The SSAP-SDGs remarked that His Excellency, President Muhammadu Buhari, Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, demonstrated unwavering commitment by affirming the SDGs Declaration alongside other Heads of Government of United Nations Member States. The President has continued to support the assiduous efforts of the SDGs Office to establish the policy, institutional and financial mechanisms needed for the successful implementation of the SDGs in Nigeria.
She pointed out that the 17 Sustainable Development Goals, 169 Targets and 231 Indicators are geared towards making life more meaningful for the citizenry, adding that the SDGs Office will strive to ensure that all MDGs projects would be put to use for the benefit of our people. She stressed that SDGs programmes must be developmental in nature stating that there is the need for all MDAs to measure their performance with a view to fast tracking the process of national development.
The SSAP-SDGs reiterated that priority programmes must be geared towards youth and women empowerment noting that attention must be paid to improving the lives of our youth through capacity building programmes that will develop them to be self-reliant and enable them contribute to national development.
She stressed that the MDAs should participate actively in the implementation of the SDGs as it captures the whole essence of life, with goals 1 to 6 dedicated to completing the unfinished business of the MDGs and social development, while Goals 7 to 12 and 13 to 17 address the economic and environmental dimensions of development respectively.
She urged the Desk Officers to collaborate with the SDGs Office in its effort to periodically report on the Key Performance Indicators (KPI) of the SDGs and give OSSAP-SDGs all the necessary support to build the synergy required to attain the SDGs. She requested that challenges be discussed during meetings as a means of peer review. She advised the desk officers to prioritize SDGs projects based on scarce resources.
While commenting, the representatives of various MDAs present at the event appreciated the essence of the meeting and expressed their desire to work in synergy with the SDGs Office towards the successful implementation of the SDGs in Nigeria.
