UN pledges to support Nigeria’s Sustainable Development Goals

The United Nations has pledged its partnership and support to Nigeria to deliver on the implementation of the SDGs.

The pledge was made in Abuja during a courtesy visit by the Global Director of the United Nations SDG Action Campaign, Mitchell Toomey to the Senior Special Assistant to the President on the SDGs, Princess Adejoke Orelope-Adefulire in her office.

Correspondent Tai Amodu reports that although the poor performance of the Millennium Development Goals was caused by a slow start in the implementation of the programme, it seems Nigeria has learned from its mistakes and has moved quickly in starting off the implementation of its replacement, the sustainable Development Goals

These quick moves to take policy, institutional, and financial steps to establish a conducive environment for the implementation of the SDGs in Nigeria, has attracted commendation from the UN SDG Action Campaign.

The Global director of the International Agency, Mitchell Toomey, recently paid a courtesy call on the Senior Special Assistant to the Nigerian President on SDGs, Adejoke Orelope-Adefulire, in Abuja.

He commended Nigeria for its multi-stakeholder approach in implementing the SDGs, which he says has enabled the country to set up structures which will support the engagement of the private sector, civil society and other non-state actors.

The UN Chief congratulated Nigeria for being a candidate country in the 2017 Voluntary National Reviews of the SDGs, a global process through which national implementation of the SDGs are reviewed

He says it is an indication of Nigeria’s openness andcommitment to implementing the SDGs.

Responding, Orelope-Adefulire, pledged Nigeria’s commitment to faithfully implementing the SDGs and ensuring that no Nigerian is left behind.

She disclosed that Nigeria has continued to commit funds through allocations in two successive budgets, to the SDGs and into social investment programmes, in spite of the current economic realities