Minister lauds UN agencies for human development efforts in FCT

 

THE Minister of Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Malam Muhammad Musa Bello has called for passionate commitment across board to ensure continuity and sustainability of all ongoing Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) projects in the territory and other parts of the country.

 

He then lauded the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) and its agencies for their human development efforts in FCT in particular and Nigeria in general.

Malam Bello, who made this known during a meeting with the UNDP Country Director, Mr Samuel Bwalya and the Senior Special Assistant to the President (SSAP) on SDGs, Princess Adejoke Orelope-Adefulire, disclosed that FCT administration was always prepared to work with these organizations and stakeholders to ensure that critical development projects that would improve the living conditions of FCT residents are actualised.

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The minister acknowledged the positive contributions of the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) through the UN SDGs towards improving the living standards of the people.

According to him, SDG programme has provided another window of opportunity to work on overcoming the challenges that were encountered during implementation of the MDGs.

He said efforts were ongoing to realize the very critical water project in Abaji that would provide clean and affordable water to the rural populace, in addition to other projects that were commenced during the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) period but were not completed.

Malam Bello said serious attention is also being given to the SDG Goal 11 that is aimed at evolving a livable city, adding that resource persons have been engaged as follow-up to the Urban Thinkers Campus roundtable that was held recently in the FCT.

Earlier, the UNDP Country Director, Mr Bwalya emphasized the importance of ensuring that the SDG programme succeeds in the FCT considering the ripple effect it will have in other parts of the country, and he called for quick planning in order to have a roadmap that would achieve results.

He also called for more interaction with stakeholders to reinforce the efforts that are aimed at realizing the SDGs in the FCT even as he pledged to work with the FCT administration and office of the SSA on SDG to address the gaps in the FCT.

The UNDP Country Director stated that the agency was working very hard to get the private sector involved, especially in the areas of healthcare and education.

Senior Special Assistant on SDGs, Princess Orelope-Adefulire while explaining the objective of the SDG Programme, stressed that it was aimed at bringing development to the people that are challenged, especially those in remote parts of the country, to make life meaningful to them and ensure that they are not left behind.

The SSAP revealed that her office has made some interventions in the health sector in FCT, by providing very critical hospital facilities like furniture and ambulance services for the National Hospital to safeguard the life of the newborn and reduce infant mortality.

She disclosed that the agenda for its upcoming workshop is to sensitize the management team of FCT local authorities, religious bodies, educational institutions, the private sector and other stakeholders on how they could contribute to the achievement of SDGs, as well as the benefits therein.

She said her office has developed a framework that would ensure that all the out of school children were brought back to school with more investment in the education sector.