The Speaker of the House of Representatives, Hon Femi Gbajabiamila, on Tuesday, tasked policymakers and other stakeholders on the need to provide a workable blueprint for effective implementation of Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) in Nigeria.
Hon Gbajabiamila who gave the charge in Abuja during the public hearing on the bill for an Act to establish the SDGs Fund, charged with responsibility for imposing, operating and maintaining the Sustainable Development Goals in Nigeria, observed that the House has “created several funds through legislative instruments over the years.
The Speaker expressed optimism that the SGDs has the capacity to “unlock and empower human economic and social changes, also to end poverty, protect the planet and ensure that 2030 Sustainable Development Goals is achieved.
“To do this, there must be economic wherewithal, there must be funding because you do not create goals in isolation, you must back it up with funding to achieve those goals, and this is what this Bill is about.
“This Bill is timely and I hope the Stakeholders have carefully looked into it and identified some benefits embedded in it as it will increase productivity, waste minimization, full participation and Fair distribution of projects for Development in Nigeria.
Speaking earlier, Chairman, House Committee on SDGs, Hon. Rotimi Agunsoye explained that the public hearing provides an opportunity to galvanize the Nigerian State to ensuring steady developmental growth by meeting the stipulated Global Sustainable Development Goals, within the stated period.
“May I further emphasize that the House of Representatives is geared towards promoting, harnessing and supporting ideals, strategies, Policies and laws fashioned at bringing incremental development to our society and giving our teeming populace the much needed basic needs for their livelihood.
“We cannot but pledge our commitment to the 17 Sustainable Development Goals with a view to marching along with the global community to ensuring all the goals are met in our dear nation Nigeria, by the year 2030, set as the target.”
According to him, the SDG Fund bill when passed into law will “enable Nigeria to achieve the three primary goals of sustainable development in the area of social development, environmental protection and economic growth in no length of time.
“You will agree with me that it is quite possible to achieve the SDGs targets using the vast resources, knowledge and technologies that abound in this country. It is also my strong belief that this proposed Bill is not only a positive signal that we are indeed on course in our drive towards attaining the Sustainable Development Goals in Nigeria but also a very timely action.
“This bill will promote proper accountability and transparency of SDGs activities, Stakeholder representation at all levels of decision making and proper allocation of funds for the attainment of the Sustainable Development Goals in the six geopolitical zones of the country.
He maintained that the “Bill is a challenge to us to test our commitment to ensuring the achievement of the Sustainable Development Goals in Nigeria. There is no doubt a dare need to define a structure and the legal framework for its efficiency, effectiveness, accountability and sustainability.
“The Committee will continue to explore all avenues for further partnership, collaboration and cooperation to achieve all the Goals in Nigeria.”
“The Committee has looked critically into the Bill and I hope the stakeholders have perused the Bill and come up with suggestions and inputs that will make the Sustainable Development Fund Bill a reality as soon as possible. It is however sad to note that Nigeria lacks behind in the much-needed data, survey, statistics and an up-to-date population census required and necessary for planning and development.
“It is imperative now more than ever for the National Population Commission (NPC) to plan to immediately conduct a fresh population census, which has fallen due since the year 2016, ten years after the last census which was conducted in the year 2006.
“Note further that it would be almost impracticable for the drive towards achieving the SDGs without knowing how many we are; without knowing how many are poor or without accurate information of our demographic distribution, among others. Let me leave you with these words, ‘Nigeria must not be left behind in the corporate global growth and development. We must all be committed to joining hands together to make our nation a better place,” Hon. Agunsoye urged.
However, in her presentation, Senior Special Assistant to the President on SDGs, Mrs Adejoke Orelope Adefilure who earlier applauded the initiative, expressed opposition against the creation of a new Board.
She said: “while the Presidency supports the bill and the SDGs office is desirous of more funding to achieve its goals, we are of the view that setting up a separate management board would be burdening and compounding the bureaucracy associated with the operations of government agencies which slows down the pace of work.
“We are grateful to the leadership and members of the National Assembly for this bill which seeks to raise more funds for the achievement of the Sustainable Development Goals.
“The President adopted the SDGs as a successor development framework after the termination of the MDGs. After the adoption, Nigeria acted very quickly and set up the team at Federal, States and Local Governments to guarantee effective implementation of the SDGs.
“We want to assure Nigerians and the Committee that the SDGs will be met if the fund is raised and deployed to the appropriate organizational structure that already exists.
“Mr President has already set up a committee to fashion out ways of reducing government agencies, and creating more would be antithetical to the objective of that mandate,” Mrs Adefilure observed.
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