The Nigerian government has reiterated its commitment to fast-tracking the achievement of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) by 2030, with the Presidency calling for urgent and collective action to bridge the existing gaps.
Speaking at the North-East Regional Consultation on Nigeria’s 2025 Voluntary National Review (VNR) in Gombe, the Senior Special Assistant to the President on SDGs (SSAP-SDGs), Princess Adejoke Orelope-Adefulire, stressed the need for stakeholders to intensify efforts towards achieving the global development agenda.
This is contained in a statement issued on Sunday in Abuja by her office.
Delivering her keynote address on her behalf, Dr Bala Yunusa, Senior Technical Adviser, emphasized that progress on the SDGs remains slow, with Nigeria facing significant challenges that require immediate intervention.
Princess Orelope-Adefulire referenced the 2024 United Nations Sustainable Development Goals Report, which paints a concerning picture of global SDG implementation.
According to the report, only 17 percent of SDG targets are on track, while nearly half show minimal or moderate progress. Worse still, over a third have stalled or regressed, disproportionately affecting developing nations, including Nigeria.
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At the national level, factors such as dwindling financial resources, persistent insecurity, and the aftermath of the COVID-19 pandemic have slowed Nigeria’s progress toward achieving the SDGs.
The SSAP-SDGs stressed that to reverse this trend, the goals must be mainstreamed into national and sub-national development plans, with robust monitoring, evaluation, and reporting mechanisms.
“The SDGs cannot be achieved through isolated programmes,” she stated.
“They must be fully integrated into government policies at all levels, with strong collaboration between the public and private sectors, the donor community, academia, and civil society.”
The 79th Session of the United Nations General Assembly (UNGA) in September 2024 saw world leaders adopt the “Pact for the Future”, reaffirming their commitment to bold and ambitious actions to accelerate SDG progress.
The SSAP-SDGs echoed the UN Secretary-General António Guterres’ call for massive investments and stronger partnerships to drive critical transitions across sectors such as food security, energy, and digital connectivity.
“The 2024 Summit of the Future provides a key opportunity to pave the way for breakthroughs at the 2025 Financing for Development Conference and World Social Summit,” she added, underscoring the importance of leveraging global momentum for local impact.
Nigeria is currently conducting its third Voluntary National Review (VNR) as part of its SDG accountability framework, ahead of the High-Level Political Forum on Sustainable Development in New York in July 2025.
The North-East Regional Consultation in Gombe is part of a nationwide engagement process to assess progress, identify challenges, and develop context-specific strategies for accelerated implementation.
At the consultation, about 150 participants from across the six states in the North-East reviewed Nigeria’s SDG implementation frameworks, discussed challenges, and proposed actionable solutions.
Stakeholders in attendance included representatives from government Ministries, Departments, and Agencies (MDAs), the private sector, civil society, academia, persons with disabilities, and youth groups.
Welcoming participants, the Focal Person of the SDGs Project Support Unit in Gombe State, Engr. Sulaiman Turaki, described the event as a “critical dialogue that will shape Nigeria’s next Voluntary National Review.”
He urged stakeholders to seize the opportunity to share insights and propose solutions that will have a real impact on sustainable development efforts across the region.
He commended institutional members of the Multi-Stakeholder Core Working Group for their dedication to guiding the VNR process, emphasizing that Nigeria must align its policies with global best practices while ensuring that no one is left behind in the push for sustainable development.
The consultations will continue across the country, culminating in a comprehensive report that will be presented at the 2025 High-Level Political Forum, setting the stage for Nigeria’s next phase of SDG implementation.
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