Implementation of SDGs 2015 – 2030

The Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) as a world programme of accelerating development especially in countries with dismal human development indices had been of great significance in Nigeria. Significant improvement has been recorded through the MDGs in Nigeria using the debt relief gains granted the country by the Paris Club. Today, Nigeria stands tall as one […]

The Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) as a world programme of accelerating development especially in countries with dismal human development indices had been of great significance in Nigeria. Significant improvement has been recorded through the MDGs in Nigeria using the debt relief gains granted the country by the Paris Club.
Today, Nigeria stands tall as one of the countries that have brought clean and safe drinking water to its people; improve access to health and educational facilities; and brought development to the doorstep of its people at all levels.  Understandably, certain challenges have hindered the implementation of the MDGs. These include the dwindling oil revenues, which affects financing of the programme; Boko Haram phenomenon, which hampers implementation in the affected areas largely in the North East Zone; natural disasters such as flooding and poor harvests as well as the growing incidences of pipeline vandalization, etc. Much as the MDGs had positively changed the lives of so many Nigerians across the nooks and crannies of every state, there is still much to be done.
The graduation of the Millennium Development Goals to  Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), will hopefully be signed and adopted by world leaders in September in a more veritable and wide horizon.
The newly introduced SDGs have been raised to 17 as against the MDGs’ eight with the latter centered on the inter-woven five famous Ps, namely: People, Planet, Prosperity, Peace and Partnership. The SDGs, which are unprecedented in scope and spectacular in significance, now include economic growth, climate change, human settlements, livelihoods and employment, inequality among countries, energy, infrastructure and industrialisation.
It is therefore instructive to lay a very solid foundation for the implementation of the new evolving world programme in Nigeria. As a means of consolidating our democratic gains that is anchored on “Change”,we must avoid the mistake of the past where beautiful programmes and projects are centred for the benefit of privileged few.
From the onset, deliberate effort must be made to engage the Parliamentarians inconceptualizing the methods and strategies of implementation. This is particularly vital in view of the parliament’s pivotal role of appropriating the needed funds for the SDGs and ensuring the desired oversight of the scheme. The parliamentarians should take ownership of the SDGs in its entirety from the conception if we are to fast track the implementation of the SDGs for optimum results. The parliamentarians stand in a better stead to detect early deviation or derailment of the programme only if they are involved in the initial concept right from the planning through to implementation and monitoring. This will no doubt ensure sustainability and wider reach not only in Nigeria but in the entire Africa as was the case with the Network of African Parliamentarians on MDGs where Nigeria took the driving seat.  
There is also the need to critically review investments made so far in physical facilities, appraise utilization of those facilities and then split investments between training/retraining and physical infrastructure. Investment in infrastructure should be through direct investment in training personnel to man available facilities in partnership with other government agencies. In the same vein, it will be important if the implementers seek out a more cogent partnership with Advocacy and Civil Society Groups involved in activities that support the SDGs. 
The implementation of Goal 8 of the MDGs left much to be desired. We need to set our priorities as a nation and re-focus our attention on core development priorities and challenges and also review the existing institutional mandates with a view to removing all impediments noticed during the MDGs implementation.
In view of the successes recorded in some areas, the need to strengthen inter-governmental partnerships and multi-level governance should be considered at the initial stage of SDGs implementation. Also, in addition to the continuation of the utilisation of the Debt Relief Gains to fund the SDGs, it will be vital to identify other traditional and localised funding channels to ensure wider sustainable financing and ownership. This should include partnership with local business community and the Organized Private Sector at the initial stage.
We should as a nation, especially at this crucial stage embrace the SDGs and ensure its early implementation. This is a veritable opportunity that is capable of facilitating the attainment of Nigeria’s supremely ambitious and transformational vision of a peaceful, literate, healthy and industrialized nation.
Hajiya Saudatu Sani, No. 44 Zubairu Sambo Aliyu Road, Unguwar Rimi, Kaduna