The partnership built over the years between Sustainable Development Goals SDGs in Nigeria and Africa Union, New Partnership for African Development know as AU-NEPAD had waxed stronger in line with the efforts to domesticate, create interdependence and strategic synergy among the two institutions.
The UN SDGs under the leadership of Princess Adejoke Orelope- Adefulire, the Senior Special Assistant to the President OSSAP SDGs in Nigeria, had through seamless efforts in the last six years attained the crescendo of providing social services, economic development, continental and regional integration, stabilised democracy, peace and security among many other issues that formed the crux of over five years partnership with AU NEPAD in Nigeria.
To achieve the 2030 decades of action of SDGs and 2063 transformation agenda of the AU NEPAD in Nigeria based on national program of action (NPOA), fused into SDGs programs and projects that enhanced program integration to ameliorate critical basic problems of African countries post- COVID era.
With SDGs attainment of first position in Africa in the re-alignment of National Statistical System NSS , acknowledged by the National Bureau of Statistics NBS as the only government agency that had aligned its statistics in Nigeria with due consideration to monitoring, tracking, evaluation, data collection, analysis, impact assessment, and results oriented through alignment and realignment of its strategies and database on pro poor services , that had improved its strategies and quality of lives of the people, the current partnership between the two global agencies domesticated in Nigeria became imperative.
With SDGs post COVID success story after its re-alignment, it became a veritable template for replication by other government Ministries, Departments and Agencies in Nigeria at National , sub national and local establishments, as well as international bodies which attracted about 22 countries in the joint two day capacity buildingworkshop organised by AU NEPAD and SDGs in Nigeria.
The workshop attracted not only the international communities and it’s bodies in Nigeria with a view to mitigating COVID and it’s unabated consequences of Delta variant in it’s 5th wave, but to attract development and awareness as well as progress in many areas with the presence of representatives of 36 state governments, FCT and SDGs focal persons to ensure the deliberation of medium and long term development of policies, programs and improvement of the critical areas of the African society.
The modest multi- level partnership adopted by SDGs with AU NEPAD was a product of collaboration with the private sector, CSOs, Donor agencies and partners, for effective and efficient service delivery, along with playing a crucial part in the sustenance of socio-economic and sustainable development in Nigeria.
The twin arrangement was in line with the resolution of the 70th session UN General Assembly in 2015, that adopted MDGs to SDGs as well as UN resolution(57/7), which played a key roles in Africa Peer Review Mechanism APRM, to ensure best practices, development, good governance among AU member nations.
The coincidence of the point of convergence and departure between SDGs and AU NEPAD as well as operational efficiency showed the country’s commitment to 2030 and 2063 agenda to transform life in the continent, particularly in Nigeria.
Therefore, the AU NEPAD APRM continental capacity building workshop on Africa’s Voluntary National Review(VNR) , for the 20222 High Level Political Forum(HLPF), and domestication of agenda 2023, was geared towards chatting a new course of multifarious development in all sectors was desirable and germane.
The collaboration and working template powered by SDGs, UN DESA, NEPAD,AUDA, APRM, with a well thought out Voluntary National Reviews VNR had a long term positive impacts and effects on the lives of ordinary Africans and Nigerians in general.
This singular act of the UN SDGs had attracted the government endorsements of such meaningful collaboration between agencies particularly aimed towards domestication of 2030-2063 agenda at National , sub national and local levels.
Having attained giant strides by Nigeria’s SDGs that led to the successful navigation of the entire face of COVID in its Delta variant, with the fear of the 5th wave, the presence of innovation hubs in each geopolitical zones of Nigeria, will be expected to accelerate more innovative solutions, prioritise social protection, expand financing, further domesticate both goals, at national and sub national levels, in accordance with the Nigeria’s 2021-2025 National Development Plans (NDP).
With government’s strides towards achieving the multiple goals occasioned by pro- Apartheid struggles by African countries, to develop a leeway into addressing the critical agenda fall out of series of convergence in Addis Ababa, Kigali, Djibouti, along with Nigeria as the flagship to advance the joint campaigns for SDGs 2030, AU AGENDA 2063.
The visible progress attained by SDGs programs in Nigeria, will be a cynosure for African countries to learn, share the 2030, 2063 agenda to continue to mitigate COVID ,emerging aliments like monkey pox, among many other critical areas of World Health emergencies and it’s consequences.
Consequently, the consolidation of the blossomed collaboration of the two giant international bodies agencies when sustained, will extricate Nigeria and Nigerians from the shackles of social inequalities, economic instability, infrastructural development, and opened up a vista of more productive engagements to the vulnerable in the country.
ABUBAKAR YUSUF Writes From Abuja, All inquiries to:[email protected].
