International aid for SDGs

Hunger, malnutrition, unemployment, poverty, underdevelopment, illiteracy, corruption, dysfunctional infrastructure, misgovernance, political instability, gender disparity, low level of technology, environmental degradation, violent crimes, civil strife, poor education standard and public health institutions, HIV/AIDS pandemic and other deadly ailments, together with child and maternal mortality, are major problems besetting most developing countries, especially in Africa.

To all these challenges, first came, the concept of Millennium Development Goals (MDGs). The MDGs were the eight international goals for the year 2015 that were established following the Millennium Summit of the United Nations (UN) in 2000—the largest gathering of world leaders in history—after the adoption of the UN Millennium Declaration. All the 191 UN member states at that time, and at least 22 international organizations, pledged their resolute commitments to help address dehumanizing poverty in its many dimensions.

Nigeria, like most other nations, signed the Millennium Summit treaty, promising to work towards the realization of these goals. A number of steps were quickly taken, including the release of funds by the Federal Government, to ensure that the goals were fully realized. Special offices were immediately created and individuals appointed to key positions to work towards actualizing the MDGs targets.

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The fundamental aim of both MDGs and SDGs is attaining ‘Sustainable Development’, which according to the International Institute for Sustainable Development (IISD) is the development that meets the needs of the present without compromising the ability of the future (generation) to meet their own needs.’’

To accelerate progress of the MDGs and SDGs, the G8 finance ministers then agreed in 2005, and then provided sufficient funds to World Bank, the International Monetary Fund (IMF) and the African Development Bank (AfDB) to offset debts owed by members of the Heavily Indebted Poor Countries (HIPC). The objective was to allow them channel more financial resources to programmes that improve health, education and alleviate poverty.

The donated funds, known as international aid, overseas aid, foreign aid or foreign assistance, refers to financial transfers made to developing countries, which are provided by multilateral institutions such as the World Bank, IMF, as well as countries on bilateral ties, basic and private actors, such as charitable foundations or Non-Governmental Organisations (NGOs). They can also be loans that recipient nations must pay back within specified periods.

About 311 Agriculture; 122 Basic Health; 152 Conflict Prevention and Resolution, Peace and Security; Developmental Food Aid/Food Security; 740 Disaster Prevention and Preparedness; 231 Energy Generation, Distribution and Efficiency; 410 General Environmental Protection; 322 Mineral Resources and Mining; and 130 Population Policies/Programmes and Reproductive Health Activities; received humanitarian aids from global financial institutions, highly-industrialized nations and donor organisations between 2000-2017 in Nigeria.

Thus, it is hoped that the Federal Government, State Governments and other relevant authorities saddled with implementing, monitoring and oversight of the execution of the laudable projects do not shirk their responsibilities. They must ensure that the massive aids, which are meant for infrastructural development, socio-economic empowerment and poverty alleviation, are judiciously utilized for the good of the teeming masses. The last thing we should hear is that the funds were brazenly and recklessly diverted, looted or misappropriated by fraudulent officials. That will be too bad

Abdulsalam Mahmud.

Abuja