The Value Clinic for Sustainable Development in Nigeria, a development partner, says it has identified channels to fast-track Nigeria’s attainment of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) and following up with a roundtable meeting with government agencies, parastatals, and private sector.
The Chief Responsibility Officer of the organisation, Mr Babatunde Bamigboye, disclosed this in an interview in Abuja on Monday, November 22, 2021.
Bamigboye said that a recent review of the SDGs activities by his firm had noted some bottlenecks and need to bring together stakeholders to brainstorm on ways Nigeria would meet the 2030 target.
He said the discussion scheduled to hold in Abuja on Nov. 25 would address the gap observed in the country’s efforts towards attaining the 17 universal goals through the encouragement of mass participation of the public and private players.
He said, “We acknowledge that most of the activities under the SDGs are driven by the exchange of value for value by citizens in their private businesses.
“Thus, a breakdown of value or cessation of value creation puts the drive for SDGs in jeopardy. This cessation may be caused by endemic challenges of fiscal justice or some human factors. If we don’t create value to achieve SDGs, we can’t earn the revenue to fund the SDGs as we ought.
“We are therefore bringing stakeholders together in a value clinic so that we can create a sustainable ecosystem of value creation.
“Nigeria needs to create a strategic and widespread ecosystem of value creation through the painstaking cooperation of both the public and the private establishments if we are to meet the crucial targets,” Bamigboye said.
SDGs are designed by the United Nations and adopted by member states to address the challenges in food and water security, medical care, education, climate change, access to public services and peace building.
Bamigboye added that the meeting would witness the unveiling of a a workbook titled: “Values Workbook for Peace and Sustainable Developments”, to guide activities of stakeholders and citizens on SDGs.
He said participants scheduled to make inputs at the gathering were drawn from finance, health, education, housing, agriculture, justice, water resources, security, digital economy and the media.
Others, according to him, are: NYSC, SMEDAN, SDG Office, Federation of Agricultural Commodity Associations, Federation of West Africa Chambers of commerce and Industry and organised labour.
By Emmanuel Oloniruha
