As part of efforts to promote and domesticate the United Nation Sustainable Development Goals, SDGs, Mrs Africa United Nation, Queen Evelyn, on Thursday, unveiled a project: ‘SDGs Family and Business Showcase.
Speaking at a press conference in Abuja, Evelyn averred that Nigeria’s preparedness to adequately drive the 2022 SDGs, is questioned by the 83 million Nigerians still living in abject poverty, and the 10.5 million children who are out of school.
While bemoaning the country’s approach in achieving the SDGs, she said Nigeria is ranked 139/163 with 54.23 per cent score on the 2022 world’s SDGs index.
Evelyn said that following the spate of hunger, agony underdevelopment among others, ravaging Africa, Nigeria particularly, the joint initiative and value-driven humanitarian project came to the fore.
She said: “Nigeria SDGs Data shows that 83 million Nigerians which represent 40% of our population live in poverty out of which 70.3% country’s drive to achieve the SDG goal one, seeking ‘No Poverty. Meanwhile, 75 million Nigerians do not have basic literacy skills. At the same time, 10.5 million are children; this is a dent on our children are out-of-school, the highest number of out-of-school children globally, where one in five out-of-school children in the world is a Nigerian. This questions Nigeria’s preparedness for the SDG’s goal quality education.
“We present to the world, the SDGS FAMILY & BUSINESS SHOWCASE, a joint initiative and value-driven humanitarian project of Mrs. Africa United Nations, Queen Evelyn and UNAU Diamonds Pageant that combines a unique blend of SDGs, Pageantry, Entertainment and Humanitarian as an effective tool for promoting and domesticating the United Nation Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), Mobilizing Supports, Enhancing Social Entrepreneurial Skills, Connecting participants with business linkage opportunities and access to grants to make lasting impact in their community and beyond to achieve our target for 1,000 Youths, Women and Girls as beneficiaries for Cash and Kind over a 8-year period of 2022 to 2030 from the proceeds of the SDGs Showcase.
“Kindly note that the cardinal objectives of the SDGs Showcase is to Domesticate the UN SDGs; uphold profound family and ethical cultural values; recognize and encourage corporate brands who are achieving the SDGs through their CSR projects; launch the One Goal One Family initiative and empower people together for a new world.
“The SDGs Showcase therefore seek to enhance SDGs achievement to boost child rights, namely access to school, healthcare, reduced malnutrition, and safe water, including girl child education, saying no to pornography, molestation rape, reduce maternal mortality and women empowerment among others.”
She, therefore, called on Nigerians who are beautiful or handsome to join the SDGs showcase 2022 in order to win amazing prizes ranging: Land, car, scholarships, among others.
She noted that: “each participant will be interviewed, trained, equipped, empowered and mentored to become role models, ambassadors and choose a specific United Nations SDG goal to execute that will improve the lives of those in their communities.
“This will further create a massive awareness of the UN SDGs and innovatively contribute to the domestication and quantum achievement of the UN SDGs in almost every Nigerian home”, she added.
While stating that the project would be shown in all major satellite, and Cable TV providers, she called for partnerships and support from well meaning Nigerians.: