By Nkiruka Nnorom
The Federal Government (FG) has said that the outbreak of the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic is constituting a threat to its drive of achieving the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) 2030, following the delay to further implementation of the on-going programmes already initiated by the government before the pandemic.
Bala Yusuf Yunusa, Senior Technical Advisor, Office of Senior Special Assistant to the President (SSAP)on SDGs, stated this at the Lafarge Africa Plc’s Sustainability Webinar Series, themed: ‘The Decade of Action: Advancing the SDGs in a Post-Pandemic Era’. Yunusa, who represented Adejoke Orelope-Adefulire, Senior Special Assistant to the President on Sustainable Development Goals, said that the pandemic has not only come as a huge cost to the nation as a result of the socio-economic impact but has also exposed the vulnerability in Nigeria’s health system.
He said there is a need for the government to work fast in scaling-up efforts to expand the fiscal space for SDGs’ implementation and also work closely with state and non-state actors to cascade and strengthen advocacy for the SDGs across the 774 Local Government Areas (LGAs) in Nigeria.
“In theory, the ‘Decade of Action’ means 10 more years of active implementation of the global goals by all the stakeholders. It means 10 more years to cover grounds and achieve the transformative promise to ‘leave-no-one-behind’ by the year 2030.
Unfortunately, just as we commenced the ‘Decade of Action’ for the SDGs in January 2020, the outbreak of COVID-19 pandemic across the world has now challenged the prospects of achieving the SDGs. “Indeed, beyond the health hazards and human consequences of the pandemic, the socio-economic uncertainties and disruptions come at a substantial cost to the Nigerian economy – which is largely dependent on oil and gas revenues.
Evidently, COVID-19 has revealed the vulnerability of healthcare systems in developing countries. Unfortunately, those who suffered the most are the poor and most vulnerable – women, children, people with disabilities, and older persons.
“We now have the responsibility to act quickly, act strong, and act precisely to attain the transformational change we all desire. It is said that ‘critical times call for critical measures’.
This extraordinary moment requires that we all come together to find creative and innovative ways to build more equal, inclusive, and resilient societies.
We must urgently build-back if we are to be on track to achieve the SDGs by 2030,” he said. Yunusa identified strengthening existing partnerships between the public and private sectors, financing sustainable development, improving coordination, and strengthening governance among others as critical to delivering on the SDGs.
“We need to judiciously use the re-aligned National Statistical System (NSS) to effectively track and monitor the implementation of the SDGs on an annual basis. This will inform targeted SDGs’ interventions across the country.
“We also need to consciously use the Nigeria iSDG simulation model to develop the next National Development Plan (2021-2025) and support the domestication of the Planning Model across the 36 states.
Khaled El-Dokani, CEO, Lafarge Africa Plc, speaking at the event, said the Sustainability Series would focus on what Nigerians need to do collectively to achieve more measurable impact and accelerate the SDGs, adding that is an opportunity to share best practices for adoption in Nigeria as well as agree collectively on how the country could jointly progress the SDGs from the decade of action. He emphasised the need to commercialise the SDGs and ensure changes in consumer behaviour Vanguard
