Kwara launches 10-year sustainable development plan

Kwara State Government has launched a 10-year sustainable development plan (SDP) which Governor AbdulRahman AbdulRazaq said envisions the bright future that the administration pursues. The plan, according to him, is anchored on four pillars of governance and institutional reforms, economic development, social development, and infrastructural development. The Governor said the SDP comprises in clear terms […]

Kwara State Government has launched a 10-year sustainable development plan (SDP) which Governor AbdulRahman AbdulRazaq said envisions the bright future that the administration pursues.

The plan, according to him, is anchored on four pillars of governance and institutional reforms, economic development, social development, and infrastructural development.

The Governor said the SDP comprises in clear terms “our plans for education, healthcare, security architecture, transport system, rural-urban development, waste management, youth engagements and women empowerment, safety nets, climate change and other environmental issues.”

The launch drew applauses from the federal government, United Nations Development Programme, Afreximbank, organised private sector players, traditional institutions and civic groups — all of whom described the document as a deliberate and robust effort of the AbdulRazaq administration to set Kwara on the path of sustainable growth and development.

At the launch were the Minister of State for Budget and National Planning Prince Clem Ikanade Agba; Special Adviser to the President on Economic Matters Dr. Sarah Alade; Special Adviser to the President on Ease of Doing Business Dr. Jumoke Oduwoye; Senior Special Assistant to the President on SDG Princess Adejoke Adefulire; state cabinet members; representative of the Emir of Ilorin and Olofa of Offa Oba Mufutau Gbadamosi Esuwoye II; Olusin of Ijara Isin Oba Ajibola Ademola Julius; Balogun Gambari of Ilorin Alhaji Adebayo Aliyu and civic groups.

Speaking at the launch of the document in Ilorin, the state capital, the Governor said: “In January this year, we unveiled a five-year agricultural transformation plan which revolves around our comparative advantage as a state with vast arable land. That agribusiness plan was the first of its kind in our state in many years. However, it was just a standalone, one-sector-specific plan.

“Today, we are launching a 10-year sustainable development plan (SDP: 2021-2030) upon which hangs everything we need to do to place Kwara on the path of inclusive and sustainable growth,” he said.

“Kwara State had its first development plan in 1970 and it ran for five years. The second development plan ran between 1975 and 1980. This Sustainable Development Plan is the third of such comprehensive Kwara-specific blueprint which plans for the future of the state.

“The SDP draws from extensive bottom-up consultations with stakeholders. It is anchored on four core pillars: governance and institutional reforms; economic development; social development; and infrastructural development.

“The plan is estimated to gulp N4.7tr between now and 2030 — a long-term investment that is necessary for sustainable growth. The funding will come from public and private sector sources.

“The cross-cutting linkages of the sectors remain an important feature of the plan beginning with the robust sector diagnostic report and the practice-based results monitoring framework.

“The plan has been drawn with full involvement of the bureaucracy and various stakeholders. It also aligns with various high-level policy parameters such as Nigeria’s Sustainability Plan, the African Union Agenda 2063 and the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals.

“No plan is cast in iron. The SDP therefore envisages periodic reviews to accommodate realities unforeseen at the time of its formulation. It has been designed to accommodate our annual strategic plans and medium term sector strategies (MTSS).

“Our choice of a 10-year horizon is intentional. Despite its attention to local realities, it serves to benchmark and converge with the UN-SDGs as far as possible, given the 2030 close-out year for both policy instruments.

“I commend all the stakeholders, including our traditional institutions, public and private sector players, and our technical partners who worked so hard to make this a huge success. The essence of making it bottom-up and deliberately participatory is so that everyone can own it for optimal success and for the good of Kwara State.”

Agba, who was the chief launcher of the document, said the Kwara plan aligns with the national strategy to tackle various developmental challenges and commended the state government for being one of the few states to have come up with such a robust roadmap.