Nigeria Presents National Voluntary Report at HLPF 2017
‘I wish to reaffirm that Nigeria has clearly defined her part on the 2030 agenda – Adefulire says as Nigeria presents at the United Nations
NEW YORK — Nigeria has made progress in integrating the SDGs into its national plans, participants at the United Nations High Level Political Forum on the SDGs were made to know by the Senior Special Adviser to the President on the SDGs- Princess Adejoke Orelope –Adefulire. She told delegates how Nigeria has “taken active steps to mainstream the 2030 agenda into its national, state and sectorial policy plan and budget”. She noted that the country has also “commenced work on the need assessment, policy and scenario analysis, indicator capturing as well as tracking and reporting” of the SDGs.
The scene on the evening of Wednesday 18th July at the UN in New York was diplomatic and high level as Sweden, Nigeria and Panama (in that order) presented their voluntary national reports (NVR) to a room full of government delegations from all the UN member states, civil society and private sector.
In 2015, Nigeria joined other countries of the world to agree an agenda to sustainably develop and protect people and planet, it would take them fifteen years costing trillions within a stable economy. The recession witnessed by Nigeria as triggered by global oil crisis and terrorism has impacted “our collective aspiration to address the numerous challenges confronting the poor and vulnerable in our society. For us in Nigeria, the humanitarian crisis in the North –East and the persistent militancy in the Niger-Delta has further slowed us down in our drive to implement the SDGs in Nigeria’’ stated Adefulire in her NVR remarks to the UN. Despite these challenges, she is confident that “Nigeria has clearly defined her part on the 2030 agenda”.
Speaking directly from New York to the NNNGO news website, Oyebisi. B. Oluseyi, Executive Director, Nigeria Network of NGOs said that the High level political forum was established in 2013 to act as the recognized home for sustainable development governance within the United Nations system. It is the pre-eminent body in the international framework for sustainable development and will ultimately be responsible for the implementation and monitoring of the 2030 agenda on sustainable development goals.
“The Nigerian Government is to be commended for providing the space for civil society and the private sector to make input into the country’s voluntary report and to join the Senior Special Adviser to the President on the SDG’s in making presentations to the UN on the country’s SDG’s interventions” Oyebisi stated.
“Through the 100 pages report submitted by the Nigerian Government we have seen the strides made by the Buhari Administration, the challenges and gaps that needs to be addressed. Now is the time for civil society to get more organized in working with government to ensure the 2030 agenda becomes achievable and that the Civil Society Advisory Group on the SDGs is strengthened to provide the space for civil society’s engagement in the design and implementation of quality programmes and projects that can aid the delivery of sustainable development to all corners of the country without “leaving anyone behind”.
The High Level Political Forum on the SDGs was held from 10-19 July 2017.
