8 months ago, our world changed. We are witnessing a vast pandemic that has brought about growing cases of deaths and infections. Economies are in shock; health systems are shaken to their core as communities struggle to cope. The world is in a triple crisis. 5 years down the line, world leaders met, endorsed, and committed to the most ambitious and comprehensive development agenda in history --- Agenda 2030 for the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). The agenda would set the world on a path to peace, prosperity, and healthy planet by the year 2030. Pre-COVID, the start of year 2020 was declared by the United Nations as the “decade of action” with many nations already off track to delivering the global goals. The COVID-19 pandemic has worsened and exacerbated our challenges as a people with nations struggling to respond and recover. The impact of the pandemic only increases the need for urgent action in ensuring that the SDGs is at the centre of recovery plans and beyond. As governments work to respond and recover our economies from the pandemic, we must remind them and show our leaders that prioritising the attainment of the SDGs is the best way to tackle COVID-19, build resilience and better prepare for future uncertainties.
Splash FM 105.5, Global Call to Action against Poverty (GCAP), Justice Development and Peace Commission (JDPC) and Nigeria Network of NGOs (NNNGO), convened a “People’s Assembly on the SDGs” on the 24th of September 2020 serving as an opportunity for citizens and citizen organisations to discuss progress on the SDGs and provide perspective on policies that can accelerate recovery from the pandemic and set Nigeria on the path to attaining the SDGs. At the end of the “Assembly”, reports and recorded sessions are provided on this web page to serve as substantive contribution to the debate on the nation’s recovery and attainment of the SDGs.
PurposeThe “People’s Assembly on the SDGs” provides a consolidated view of citizens and citizen organisations on the state of governments’ commitment to attaining the SDGs by 2030. The review was focused and action oriented x-raying issues around Nigeria’s developmental history-given the 60th anniversary of our independence, insurgency, and emergencies in the North-East, gender-aware development, the role of the media and celebrities in connection to recovering from the pandemic and refocusing energies on the path to meeting and exceeding agenda 2030.
Approach:The “Assembly” is a 60-minute hybrid event—live radio and virtual conference (Zoom and Facebook live streaming via the NNNGO and Splash FM pages) followed by a panel interview format with participants joining virtually via Facebook and Zoom. Between the 21st and 24th September 2020, Splash FM 105.5 journalists visited public places across Oyo State particularly the Ibadan metropolis to ask citizens about their perception of governments efforts to reduce poverty, improve security, health, address COVID-19, curb gender. Findings were developed into a 3 mins vox-pop laying the foundation for the day’s discussions following which panelists were asked series of structured questions which set the tone for discussions, questions, and answers among participants.
