The office of the Senior Special Assistant to the President on Sustainable Development Goals SDGs under the leadership of Princess Adejoke Orelope-Adefulire had garnered both local and international supports as a global intervention agency, that affected the economic, social and political development of developing nations, with Nigeria not left out.
The leadership of the global outfit domesticated it’s 17 Goals agenda in the country with the former deputy governor of Lagos state, Princess Adejoke Orelope-Adefulire reappointed as the Senior Special Assistant to the President in September, 2023.
Having occupied the position in the previous dispensation, Princess Adejoke Orelope-Adefulire hitted the ground running by consolidating on the previous success story with the attendance of the 78th session United Nations General Assembly (UNGA) held in the United States in New York in September , 2023 with its theme tagged “Accelerating SDGs Progress Through National Financing Strategies and Integrated National Financing Frameworks (INFFs)” at a high level event in 2023.
Worried by the negative effects of climate change across the globe and the need to achieve accelerated program of SDGs taken cognizance of decade of action of 2020-2030.
The decision of Nigeria’s SDGs to convene INFF in 2022 77th UNGA session held in New York was to increase investments, align resources from both public and private sector ,as well as domesticate the resources to attain the ambitious 2020 -2030 agenda that is near and heading towards half way.
Hence , the high level discussion of the last 78th session of UNGA concentrated on the viability of INFF, international and domestic budgets of countries including Nigeria , particularly the new administration of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu under his Renewed Hope Agenda, through partnership to achieve it’s immediate goals.
Deploying financing strategies through the INFF to ensuring accelerated progress of SDGs in cahoot with the UN , Economic Recovery and Growth Plan (ERGP), economic sustainability plan, growth, and National poverty reduction , as well as attaining National Development plan as we approach second half time.
The launching of INFF at 2022 UNGA was a vital tool to leveraging on its framework towards sustainability in view of global fiscal challenges in both domestic and international spheres, so as to achieve SDGs.
It was also meant to prioritize investments with multiple effects , with collaborative reactions on the whole society approach to implementing INFF Roadmap.
With the envisaged alignment of National and Sub -National budgets, SDGs will be attainable in all spheres of our national life, that will be all encompassing.
Similar advocate debuted in COP28 in 2023 with a clamour for accelerated climate action plan using INFF and national financing.
With highlights of the critical roles of climate change and climate action financing during the side event in Dubai, the combination of EU, UN, UNDP at the pivotal climate change side event, emphasising climate change and SDGs at the global fora and by extension it’s domestication at the home front.
The obvious need to mobilize funds through INFF using financial strategies critical for climate action, capable of addressing climate challenges towards attaining climate agenda for the country between now and 2030 was desiring.
With climate action pledged at COP26 in 2021, and the establishment of National climate change, the ambitious target of achieving net zero emissions by 2060 is achievable.
The Integrated approach deployed by SDGs through harnessing both medium and short term measures since 2016 , the national development, Adisababa action agenda, for financing development/2030 agenda was gradually working out.
With the key initiatives and reforms of SDGs and COP28 outlined in INFF road map particularly funding , in collaboration with both private and public sector, non state actors, fora to holistic approach of the implementation of the International National Financing Framework (INFF), to attain seamless and accelerated development.
The giant strides of the leadership of SDGs under Princess Adejoke Orelope-Adefulire to harness climate action development spanned from the launching of INFF in 2022, to advocating accelerated action in 2023 78th session of UNGA, and COP28 in December, 2023, with a pledge from COP26 in 2021, to achieve SDGs ambitious and accelerated development in line with the decade of action in 2030 and 2060 target of net zero emission by 2060.
The positive development earlier in the life of Renewed Hope Agenda of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu will not only improve domestication, but harness international attention towards national development in all spheres.
*YUSUF writes from Abuja he can be reached on [email protected].
