The Nation Newspaper

Tag: SDG

  • SDG: Fed Govt commends Ayade

    The Federal Government has lauded Cross River State Government  for demonstrating a strong commitment to  the implementation of the  goals of the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).

    The Senior Special Assistant to the President on Sustainable Development Goals, Princess Adejoke Orelope-Adefulire, commendd Governor Ben Ayade during a visit to his office. She was full of praises for the governor for the full  implementation of the 17 goals, 169 indicators and 232 targets of the SDGs in the state.

    In her words, “I am happy to note that Cross River State has already been demonstrating leadership and strong commitment to the implementation of SDGs. SDGs is about people. It is a universal call for action to end poverty, safeguard our planet and ensure that all people enjoy peace and prosperity by the year 2030 and I’m happy that Cross River is already toeing this path.”

    Continuing she said: “I want to commend His Excellency for his vision in all that you are doing especially in the empowerment of your people and investment in agriculture. You also talked about construction of Teachers’ Continuous Training College which you noted will not only train Nigerian teachers but teachers in sub-Saharan Africa and I must say that this indeed is a welcome development  and it is very apt given the level of decay in the educational sub sector.”

    Mrs Orelope-Adefulire also noted that “This will not only empower the teachers but will be translated into better learning which will have direct impact on our children and bring them at par with current realities. I like your interest in education which properly aligns with our activities as well as what you have done so far to achieve qualitative education because without education,  they won’t be an end to poverty, disease and other things hampering our growth as a nation.”

    Stressing the importance of the training facility in the overall development of children as most graduates are not employable, the SDG boss explained: “Some children are in school but they are not in school and some are out of school but they are in school. So, if they are not well taught, I’m sure they are not in school which is why we emphasis that we engage the right people to teach our children particularly at the kindergarten level.”

    She further commended the state government for initiating a healthcare insurance scheme,  ”Ayade Care”, as well as the construction of three ultramodern referal hospitals in the three senatorial districts which she said will contribute significantly  to improve the living conditions of the people.

    Adefulire sued for closer ties with the state to deliver on the goals for the overall benefits of the citizenry.

    Ayade lauded the political will of President Muhhamadu Buhari at ensuring that every part of the country gets the desired democratic dividends,  even as he pledged the readiness of the state to fulfil its parts.

    He enumerated some of the machineries he has put in place to achieve the SDGs in the state. “We have a connectivity between our Ministry driving SDGs by improving on the livelihood of the people,” he said.

     

  • Total, NNPC commission solar system in centre for ‘special children’

    Energy giant, Total, the Nigeria National Petroleum Cooperation ( NNPC ) and other ancillary companies have commissioned alternative energy, solar system at the Don Guanella Center at Nnebukwu community in Oguta Council Area of Imo State.

    The Center operated by the Catholic Church, houses mentally deranged children and those living with down syndrome, as well as homeless old people.

    With the commission of the solar system, the Centre will now have 24 hours uninterrupted power supply, which will ease the plight of the inmates and reduce the of running the centre.

    Speaking at the commissioning, the Catholic Priest in charge of the Center, Reverend Father Jude Anamelechi, commended Total and the NNPC for the gesture, which he described as a huge relief.

    According to the cleric, “the installation of the multi-million naira solar Energy has provided a big relief to the center in the area of power supply. It has greatly improved the lives of our children here in the center especially the fact of aiding in the management of health crises at night. The project has reduced the cost of powering the center and eliminated pollution caused by the use of diesel”.

    He however appealed to the companies to do more and extend the solar to power  the borehole, stating that “with the type of children we have, water is very much important for their hygiene”

    The Priest disclosed that the Center had been in existence for 26 years, “Don Guanella Center belongs to the congregation founded by Saint Luigi Guanella, an Italian Priest. We rehabilitate mentally and physically challenged children.

    “These are children who deserve to live and enjoy life like others but are facing serious health challenges like epilepsy, Down syndrome, cerebral palsy and autism.

    “We have special school, the physiotherapy, occupational therapy and others. In our Guanella tradition we strongly believe that disability is never inability, therefore we help our children to discover the hidden capacities in them.

    “Ours is to reawaken in them and in the society the consciousness that every human being even those less gifted by nature have something to
    offer to the society.

    “With the recent admission, we have forty children (6 day care and 34 boarders) and some others are in their families because of the limited financial resources of the center to provide their ever increasing needs, which include feeding, clothing, medical, speech therapist, physiotherapist among others”.

    Read Also: Minimum Wage: No agreement on N30,000, Says FG

    Speaking at the occasion, shortly before the commissioning, the Managing Director, Total Upstream Companies in Nigeria, Mr. Nicholas
    Terraz, represented by the Head of Corporate Affairs, Abiodu Afolabi, said, ” we are contributing to the realization of the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals, SDGs. Number three and seven, which talk about ensuring good health and well-being as well as provision of cleaner, affordable, reliable, sustainable and modern energy”.

    He added that, “Two months ago, we embarked on the construction of this Solar solution project in fulfillment of the these goals andtoday, we are happy to hand over a project capable of generating 246MWH of electricity annually through the use of solar photovoltaic (PV) panels.

    “Each of the five buildings in the Centre is provided with solar power and run independently. With the completion of this project, the
    institution will depend less on diesel generators for its electrical needs, thus reducing environmental pollution as well as operational cost and this will leave more funds available to meet the other needs of the residents.”

    In her speech, a representative of the Imo state governor, Rochas Okorocha, Mrs Ama Eluwa, Permanent Secretary Ministry of Gender and Social Development, said, “indeed children are the leaders of tomorrow. They are the strength of a nation. They are the pride of the people. It is on this continent that children suffer immensely from abuse and neglect. Care and concerned for all children is the hallmark of a civilized nation.

    “In my capacity as the permanent secretary of Gender and Social Development, this one the institution that is under our supervision.

    “Our joy knows no bound as we see light not just for one hour but for 24 hours to help in taking care of our children.”

  • Rate of death of newborn in Bauchi, alarming – UNICEF officer

    Mr Oluseyi Olusunde, United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) Health Officer in Bauchi said on Thursday that the rate of neonatal deaths in the state was alarming and called for urgent action.
    He stated this at a stakeholders meeting for situation analysis on newborn deaths in the state.
    “Out of every 1000 newborn, 161 are likely to die before their fifth birthday in Bauchi; this is far above SDG target.
    “For our newborn presently,we have about 11455 deaths of newborns every year in Bauchi, therefore Bauchi is number five in Nigeria in terms of newborn deaths,” he said.
    According to him, that is why the state government inaugurated a committee called Bauchi State Every Newborn Action Committee (BASENAC) to track implementation of policies that prevents newborn death.

    Read Also: 2.6m Nigerians under age five severely malnourished – UNICEF

    “With the partnership of UNICEF/EU and the state government, we will reduce newborn deaths in the state,” he assured.
    In his remarks, head of UNICEF, zone ‘D’Field Office, Mr Bhanu Pathak, said the state government had been doing its beat to reduce cases of neo-natal deaths, but added that there were some challenges that needed to be resolved.
    He said UNICEF would partner with the government to address the challenges.
    ‎Also speaking, Chairman BASENAC, Dr Robinson Yusuf, said the concept of the meeting was to sensitize the stakeholders on the bottlenecks identified as the cause of newborn deaths in the state.
    ‎
    “Investing in newborn and child survival and the most disadvantaged is not only the right thing to do, it is the smart thing to do,” he said.
    ‎
    Yusuf said the committee would subsequently come up with strategies and plan that would address the issues surrounding newborn deaths in the state.
    ‎Stakeholders that attended the meeting included traditional and religious leaders, health-related associations as well as personnel of ministries involved in efforts at reducing neonatal deaths, among others.

  • UN, Oyo unveil SDGs in Yoruba

    In continuation of its commitment to leaving no one behind in the implementation of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), the United Nations, in collaboration with Oyo State Government and the UN Association of Nigeria (UNAN), has unveiled the Yoruba Language translation of the 17 Goals and 169 Targets of the SDGs.

    The launch of the SDGs, Yoruba version, the first in the country, was held at the Mapo Hall, Ibadan, with fanfare and a rich display of Yoruba culture.

    UN Information Centre (UNIC) Lagos Director Mr Ronald Kayanja acknowledged the importance of Yoruba language. He said: “It is estimated that more than 40 million people speak the language in Nigeria. The Republic of Benin and Togo. It is the third most widely spoken indigenous language in Africa.”

    It is for this reason, according to him, that the launch of the Yoruba language SDGs and targets was of great importance.

    Kayanja urged the audience, numbering up to 1000 people, to use the occasion to start a mass mobilisation of people for achievement of the SDGs among Yoruba-speaking people. “Please read these goals and pass on the message to others. Let us commit to reach those who are farthest first and leave no one behind as we work towards achieving the SDGs targets,” he said.

    Launching the SDGs Yoruba language version, Oba Lekan Balogun expressed his delight about the translation of the 17 goals and 169 targets in the language of the people to enhance their understanding and participation. He urged the audience who were mainly grassroots people comprising of market women, artisans, youth organisations and civil servants, among others, to read and play the role expected of them as good citizens.

    In his address, the Chairman of the occasion, Chief Bamiji Ojo, commended the UN, Oyo State government and other partners for placing grassroots people at the centre of SDGs awareness and implementation.

    The Oyo State Commissioner for Information, Hon Toye Arulogun, noted that the choice of Mapo Hall for the occasion was deliberate and strategic in view of its historic importance and the centrality of its location at the heart of the city and closeness to the grassroots to whom the SDGs Yoruba would be most beneficial. He reiterated the commitment of the Oyo State government to the achievement of the SDGs.

    The Chairman, Oyo State Implementation Committee of SDGs and Commissioner for Finance, Hon Abimbola Adekanbi, explained that SDGs is for everybody and that individuals have a role to play in its achievement.

    Other partners were Oodua Investment Company Limited, Dawn Commission and Initiative for Information, Arts and Culture Development in Nigeria (IACD) and the American Corner, Ibadan.

  • ‘Job creation, central to attaining SDGs’

    Association of Senior Staff of Banks, Insurance and Financial Institutions (ASSBIFI) President, Comrade Oyinkan Olasanoye has said job creation is the key factor for poverty reduction, lives improvement, and meeting the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) by 2030.

    Olasanoye, therefore, urged the Federal Government to create an enabling environment for the private sector to create jobs.

    She said: “Creating more jobs requires economic transformation that would open up opportunities to move workers from lower to higher productivity activities. It also means a spatial transformation with urbanisation pulling villagers into secondary towns and cities.

    “This shift will need to be led by the private sector, the main engine of job growth. For this to happen on a scale large enough, government needs to look at what has worked best to create jobs, focusing on sectors that have the highest potential.

    “Agriculture still accounts for almost 70 per cent of total employment in the country. The challenge here is for agriculture and the food system to generate high value-added jobs across the value chain, especially for women and youth,” he told The Nation in Lagos.

    The ASSBIFI chief said manufacturing, which has driven economic growth in many countries, is changing with new technologies and shifting patterns of globalisation.

    “While some industries remain feasible entry points for low-skill employment, technological innovations could cause substantial job losses,” she said.

    She said governments needed to take public policy actions to create an enabling environment.

    “Government at all levels need to invest in education, from early childhood to adulthood, to build the human capital needed for a rapidly evolving global economy. They need to build quality infrastructure to connect domestically and globally. They need to set up the right ecosystem for private investments, especially for smaller businesses and entrepreneurs,” she said.

     

     

    She said China has in recent decades, succeeded in creating millions of employment opportunities and absorbing millions of new entrants into its labour market, while transforming its economy and society. According to her, China’s path offers useful lessons for others as it has moved higher on the global value chain; China is also creating fresh opportunities for other developing countries.

    “We call on the Federal Government to work with China to share lessons of job creation and economic transformation and use them to support other developing countries. By looking closely at these successes, the Federal Government can identify what other governments can do to generate incomes and create jobs, by engaging the private sector and unleashing people’s energy and creativity,”she said.

     

     

  • Our Girls; SDG: Budget; Kill bill

    Our girls are still missing since April 15, 2014. Pray.

    With 11 days to December 31, we plagiarize the Musical Youth song ‘Pass the Dutchie on the Left hand side’, to read

    “NASS OOOO!!   NASS OOOO!   Pass the budget by the 31st’, Pass the Budget by the 31st.  Or sing ‘All we are saying is “Pass the budget by the 31!st!’”Nigerians should record this and design e-cards to inundate social media, NASS and politicians to fulfil Global Goals Goalkeepers ABC- Action, Broadcast and Change for SDGs 16 & 17 –aiming at a Jan-to-Dec budget cycle.

    Witness the National Assembly (NASS) public hearing on the apparently corruption-fights-back, ill-conceived and malignantly motivated NASS-driven HB585 NGO Regulatory Bill known by NGOs as ‘The Anti-NGO Bill’. Is the bill really to paralyse politically-focused NGOs and religious bodies, unconverted and undefeated by herdsmen and Boko Haram, and to secure Election-2019 with ‘stomach infrastructure’ using a camouflage-cloaked Draconian Decree 4-style Bill? NGO SDG-related activities fight a war of many battles against corruption and endemic voter ignorance and for major restructuring and political reform. Now this war must be fought to keep Nigeria’s 70m + youth contented or entombed at home and away from further inflating the Saharan- Mediterranean slave trade and ‘visa-less migrant crisis’ crossing to fortress Europe and beyond. NGO-championed SDG 16 +reforms include 1] One NASS House –Representatives, 2] Part-time sittings, 3] Modest sitting allowances, 4] Payment of NASS members by home states, not the federal government and 5] ‘Politicians: Get A Day Job’ and 6] Budget and good governance monitoring.

    NASS is a parasitic creation of a mosquito or leech-like parasitic milito-political system. It cannot self-destruct or preside over its restructuring. Nigeria lacks Gorbachevs or Yelsins. NASS seeks to kill these Good Governance SDGoals by strangling the ‘Kill Bill’ advocates-NGOs. Paradoxically, the NASS public hearing returned an honest, uniformly negative analysis. Among the chief spokespersons was the erudite Bishop Mathew Kukah who led an ‘NGO Bill Wake Keep’. We expect ‘We announce the Obituary of HB585’ from NASS. NGOs should fix ‘A National Day for NGO Bill Cremation’. Our NGO, Educare Trust, was represented by our treasurer and former NASS Member, Wale Okediran who also led health sector NGOs. He viewed his successor ‘Tenants Of The House’ from the populo side. His Tenants Of The House is being filmed by Kunle Afolayan.

    Pathetically NASS dismisses citizenry’s concerns instead of correcting its ‘disapproval rating’. NASS wallows in media-hype and self-adoration ‘signifying nothing’, ignoring public anger at the NASS institution and NASS members’ apparent megalomaniacal mannerisms, high-handedness and self-aggrandisement in budgetary allocation to itself and the hauled before it and rubbishing of officials watched by wives and children on TV.

    Sadly NASS appears to portray itself not as Nigeria’s protective eagle, but as a vulture perched on the ‘High Table of Public Hearings’, bullying and pecking at the cowering carrion of public and private sector officials fearful of losing jobs and/or reputations on national TV with no punishment for NASS members who are not necessarily all renowned as ‘Caesar’s wife’ or distinguished and honourable as the dictionary definition projects and who are not ‘shining examples’ of honesty, humility and service – maybe self-service.

    Can NASS ever occupy the moral high ground? Former SEC DG Arumah Oteh overcame a convicted unpunished NASS criminal but SEC was punished by NASS with a zero budget. A NASS member speaking against NASS financing met the Mafia’s silence Oath ‘Omerta’, and was apparently maliciously suspended for one year! Only NGOs spoke out!

    Undeserved perks and pensions have deceived NASS into self-deification. NASS members were uncomfortable when confronted at the public hearing by respected citizens, independent of government and NASS patronage, who could not be intimidated or dismissed, many with the humanitarian distinction of replacing a little of what millions of Nigerians have lost to a greedy avaricious politics. These citizens were forced by conscience to create NGOs, embarrassing themselves, expending their resources, begging family, friends, businesses and even NASS members, for funds. The titles ‘distinguished’ and ‘honourable’ have no ‘fear factor’ to them. Behind the sea of ‘hostile and aggressive’ NGO faces, NASS members should see the tsunami of millions of grateful NGO beneficiaries – all ‘hostile and aggressive’ at a failed overly-expensive criminal governance system most exemplified by NASS excesses and easily corrected by a 90% cut in NASS budget.

    NGOs serve the under-served and repair gaping holes in the tattered social and moral fabric of society abandoned by criminal governments. Our society survived because of the ‘zero percent loan bank’ the extended family, now destroyed by ‘no salaries and pensions’. Are NGOs wasting their time? All NGOs cannot raise N1b locally annually while NASS manipulates or self-budgets N125-N150b! QED. Quad Erratum Demonstrandum!

    Nigeria has always had enough funds –and too many corrupt fund managers! ‘Cutting Corruption’ is the greatest cross-cutting change needed! NASS can do a chameleon change or citizens’ will change it. The ‘Nays’ better have it!!!!

    Give Knowledge as free Christmas Presents. Teach these Educare Trust SDG Goals: [1] To Monthly Breast Exam, MBE add Total Monthly Body Exam, TMBE for everyone, SDG 3. [2] Replace ‘O My God’ with ‘O My Goodness’. [3] Stop the ‘Dirty Slap’ causing blindness and deafness especially in children! SDG 3, 4 and [4] ABC- Avoid Bullying Children-and adults SDG 3, 4.

    NB: Uncover ‘I LOVE NIGERIA’ KNOWLEDGEABLE CANDIDATES for 2019 -SDG 16.

    Merry Christmas- Christ-like, smile at/ help/feed one ‘Christmas’ stranger!

  • Fed Govt, MTN partner on achieving SDG

    MTN Nigeria has partnered with the Federal Government to achieve the United Nations (UN) Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) of ensuring healthy lives and promoting the wellbeing of all across the country.

    Specifically, the telco, through its corporate social responsibility vehicle, MTN Foundation, is focusing on combating maternal and child mortality through its Yellow Heart Initiative in partnership with the Federal Ministry of Health.

    On the partnership, the Minister of Health, Prof. Isaac Adewole, said the initiative had raised hopes on the sustainability of the Federal Government’s drive to provide adequate care for mothers and their children.

    Represented by the Permanent Secretary in the ministry, Mr. Clement Uwaifo, the minister commended MTN Foundation for the laudable initiative.

    He said: “The initiative is set up to address the high maternal and child mortality through targeted interventions especially among vulnerable and indigent families across select locations in Nigeria. The national launch will be followed by implementation in the selected states of the first phase of the project namely Ogun, Oyo, Abia, Cross River, Kaduna and Niger.”

    The Chairman, MTN Foundation, Prince Julius Adelusi-Adeluyi, said Yellow Heart is an urgent call for purposeful action, adding that the Foundation remains irrevocably committed to the cause. He commended the support of the government and solicited for more partners in executing the programme.

    “It is in working collaboratively- public, private, and non-­profit parties- that we can improve the health and survival rate of women and children in our country. We are truly excited to be a part of this movement; we stand with and applaud the Federal Government and the Ministry of Health, as they champion this project which will create the much-needed awareness for improving maternal and infant health in our nation.

    “Our long-standing partnership with the government has facilitated the establishment of mammography centres; provision of equipment to maternal wards and primary health care centres; improved access to primary health care through the Y’ello Doctor mobile clinics and enabled the delivery of much needed services to expectant and new mothers. We have made a long term commitment to the health, wellbeing and survival of our people” Adelusi-Adeluyi said.

    At the event, the Executive Secretary, MTN Foundation, Ms. Nonny Ugboma, said the Yellow Heart logo is representative of the objective of the campaign and Nigerians and particularly mothers should watch out wherever they see it.

    “The logo fuses the mother and newborn child in close proximity at an angle that forms the shape of a heart illustrating the deep and enduring connection that exists between the two. The Yellow Heart campaign stems from our appreciation of the importance of women and children to our nation’s future. This is why the MTN Foundation is passionate about making life brighter for mother and child,” she said.

    The Yellow Heart campaign will involve various health fora that will be used to create awareness on the state of maternal and child mortality in each State, the challenges, on-going interventions and future plans to improve the health of mothers and children. Key stakeholders will be informed of MTN interventions in the state and intimated on the current Yellow Heart Project. Health workshops will also take place to provide information to pregnant women and new mothers.

    In 2014, Nigeria and 192 other countries represented at the UN formally agreed to a set of 17 SDGs which are a non-binding framework to coordinate global development efforts over the next 15 years.

    This MTN Foundation initiative aligns with SDG 3 which is to “ensure healthy lives and promote wellbeing for all at all ages’.

    According to this SDG, by 2030 global maternal mortality ratio would have been reduced to less than 70 per 100,000 live births; end preventable deaths of newborns and under-five children; end the epidemics of AIDS, tuberculosis, malaria, and neglected tropical diseases and combat hepatitis, water-borne diseases, and other communicable diseases; halve global deaths and injuries from road traffic accidents; ensure universal access to sexual and reproductive health care services, including for family planning, information and education, and the integration of reproductive health into national strategies and programmes; and substantially reduce the number of deaths and illnesses from hazardous chemicals and air, water, and soil pollution and contamination.

     

  • UNIC targets youths, organises Arts4SDGs competition

    UNIC targets youths, organises Arts4SDGs competition

    The United Nations Information Centre (UNIC) in Nigeria, has continued to highlight the role of youth in the implementation of the global goals, since member states of the United Nations (UN) adopted the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) in September 2015.

    The Centre has remodelled its school outreach activities to be youth-focused and SDGs-centred. Of note was the just concluded Arts4SDGs competition in Lagos State and the rollout of the second phase by 1 November 2017 in Ogun State, South-West Nigeria.

    Arts4SDGs from UNIC is a campaign that promotes the SDGs amongst Secondary School students using creative arts. It requires the students to express their understanding of SDGs in artistic forms or in poetry.

    The competition which was organised by the United Nations Information Centre (UNIC) Nigeria in collaboration with Lagos State Ministry of Education and Tender Arts Nigeria, started earlier in the year among the over 600 public secondary schools in Lagos State and a few private ones.

    UNIC Director, Mr Ronald Kayanja
    UNIC Director, Mr Ronald Kayanja addressing the audience

    It reached the climax on Thursday 9 October 2017 with an Exhibition of outstanding works as well as the award of certificates to all students who participated in the competition. The event also featured the unveiling of SDGs theme song titled: “One Planet” initiated by UNIC but composed and rendered by Nigeria’s multi-talented singer, Seyi Ajayi.

    Speaking at the Arts4SDGs Exhibition and Certificates Award ceremony, the Director of UNIC Lagos Nigeria,  Ronald Kayanja, explained that Arts4SDGs aimed to create awareness of the SDGs among children and the youth; and raise young advocates to inspire positive actions for sustainable development.

    “Arts4SDGs is about viewing the SDGs through the lenses of an artist. Students were asked to interpret any of the 17 SDGs in artistic forms. The works of arts the Students submitted were creative and instructive.”

    He said, “There is a particular one that depicts Goal 2, ‘Zero Hunger’ with a plastic plate containing real foodstuffs while a fork and a knife are arranged on each side. The message is clear: No one should go hungry. Let everyone have food on the table.”

    Mr Kayanja thanked the Lagos State Government for its support, “especially in sharing the Arts4SDGs communication materials to all schools in the State which was a critical success factor.”

    UNIC Information Officer, Oluseyi Soremekun
    UNIC Information Officer, Dr Oluseyi Soremekun curates the SDGs posters and artworks.

    In his opening remarks, the Executive Director of Tender Arts Nigeria, Mr Adekunle Adewale, explained that “We believe images are powerful to convey the message beyond words. One image is more powerful than a thousand words. This is the main reason we are partnering UNIC to promote the use of arts to SDGs.

    Dignitaries in attendance include Ambassador Ayo Olukanni Nigeria’s former diplomat to Australia, New Zealand and the Fiji Island; the President of Society of Nigerian artists, Mr. Oliver Enwonwu; the Chairman, Lagos State Council For Arts and Culture, Mrs Polly Alakija; the Curator, Rele Art Gallery, Ms Adenrele Sonariwo, Representatives of Lagos State Ministry of Education.

    The highpoint of the ceremony was the decoration of Seyi Ajayi as a Champion of SDGs by the Director of UN Information Centre (UNIC) in Nigeria, Mr Kayanja.

    The second phase of the Arts4SDGs campaign which is in collaboration with the Ogun State Ministry of Education, Science and Technology, kicks off on 1 November 2017. Over 380 secondary schools in the State would be reached.

     

  • PwC launches guidelines for SDG reporting

    PwC launches guidelines for SDG reporting

    PwC Nigeria on Monday launched a new report – Business Reporting on the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs): An Analysis of the Goals and Target.

    On September 21, at the 2017 UN Global Compact Leaders’ Summit, during the UN General Assembly in New York, the Global Reporting Initiative (GRI) and the United Nations Global Compact (UNGC), with the support of PwC, launched the new report.

    The report, which is the first step towards a harmonised set of indicators and methodologies for businesses to report on, provides an inventory of possible disclosures per SDG at target level.

    PwC Nigeria said up until this launch, there was no single methodology for businesses to measure and report their business progress and impacts on the SDGs, and thousands of companies have been using the Global Reporting Initiative (GRI) reporting standards in their sustainability reporting.

    The firms said this was despite the fact that these standards predate the ambitious SDGs agreed by over 150 world leaders at the UN Summit in 2015.

    “As more and more businesses work toward their SDG objectives, reporting on their impacts and contributions to SDGs is set to become less complex. They can now use only one common standard for reporting on their performance on the SDGs, in line with the ten (10) Principles of the UN Global Compact,” PwC said.

    It added that with the increasing interests of investors in directing funds towards businesses that are leading the way on responsible business practices, the need for businesses to be more transparent and effective in their corporate reporting has become very paramount.

    The firm in a statement made available to The Nation, explained that as technical partners and knowledge drivers to the Private Sector Advisory Group on SDGs as well as its dedication to the achievement of the UN SDGs in Nigeria, “We  are excited to bring the latest development on (SDGs) reporting to you.”

    “This gives PwC Nigeria the opportunity to finalise the localised version being prepared by the sustainability team for the private sector in Nigeria as we prepare to launch both in the next couple of months,” it added.

    The firm said undoubtedly, this ground-breaking initiative will help businesses in Nigeria to better engage and communicate their contributions to the SDGs with governments and inform their sustainability reporting at a national level.

    “We at PwC are at the centre of this and are best positioned to support your business move from sustainability to include SDG reporting,” the statement said.

  • SDG: The turning of the screw

    In journalism, what makes news are uncommon incidents in uncommon places at uncommon times. These days, most news stories, are rather sad than pleasant because of their common identities. The phenomenon that dominates news stories nowadays is generally tendentious and prone to sadness. That is why the hitherto uncommon news stories have become common even as the usually known common stories have become uncommon. Thus, any pleasant news these days may sound like no news at all even if is to the benefit of mankind. The topic here today is a typical example of a good news with a sour taste.

     

    MDG and SDG

    How many Nigerians know what Milennium Development Goal (MDG) or Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) means? These two concepts were initiated by deep-thinking people from outside the African Continent who felt pity for the less privileged people especially those of Africa. It was meant to be the turning of the scew for the downtrodden masses of the developing countries. MDG was initiated at the commencement of the 21st century in year 2000. Its aim was to introduce a new, favourable economic and environmental trend to the poor people of Africa and the rest of the world through a new empowerment era in the new millennium. As a new idea MDG was test run for 15 years from 2999 to 2015. But unfortunate, very few people knew of it and its benefit until about 2015 when it was almost rolling off.

    Thus, when it became clear that the 15 year programme was rolling off without the knowledge of those for whom it was meant, a new precept was coined as an addendum to mdg. That new precept was called SDG.  And except for such efforts as the conference under report here, the 15 years of SDG too may roll out unnoticed.

     

    Conference of religious leaders

    Two weeks ago, (June 21, 2017), Some representatives of the Nigerian Supreme Council for Islamic Affairs (NSCIA) and those of the Christian Association of Nigeria (CAN) met at Osun State University, Osogbo, to commonly deliberate on an uncommon subject that is common to all Nigerians irrespective of tribe, faith and political affiliations. It was a rare conference. The forum that brought those religious leaders together was facilitated by a popular Non-Governmental Organization (NGO) called United Nations Sustainable Development Solutions Network, Nigeria (SDSN) coordinated by Professor Labode Popoola, who, incidentally, is the Vice Chancellor of Osun State University, Osogbo. Each of the Muslim and Christian bodies was represented by about 10 clerics while the traditional religionists were absent for a reason best known to them. The NSCIA delegation was led by Prof D. O.S. Noibi, a member of the General Purpose Committee of NSCIA and the Executive Secretary of the Muslim Ummah of the Southwest Nigeria (MUSWEN). Yours sincerely was on that delegation.

     

    Observation

    The issue here is not about religion per se. But in the wisdom of the organisers of the conference, religion is a veritable means of mobilising Nigerian citizens for any good and beneficial venture in the contemporary time.  This is because religion has virtually become the last bastion of hope for most Nigerians as an aftermath of economic failure in the country. Thus, any idea that requires quick dissemination and popular support must involve religious leaders who control the minds of Nigerian worshippers in Churches and Mosques. The objective was to allow for spiritual inputs into human social services for the wellbeing of mankind. What does the Qur’an or the Bible say about Sustainable Development Goa? And how can these help the growth of the society?

     

     Why the Religions?

    According to Professor Popoola who explained the involvement of religious leaders:

    “The recognition of the engagement of religions in the sustainable development agenda is that of their commitments to fundamental service to humanity and serving communities.

    These commitments are through divine preaching and exemplary leadership in the expression of respect for the creatures, protecting nature, reinforcing people’s trust and confidence at good deeds and rewards”.

     

    Motive of the SDG           

    Analysing the real motive of the SDG, Professor Popola said: “The SDGs were developed as a road map for inclusive growth, economic prosperity and environmental sustainability, to succeed the former Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) that started in 2000 and ended in 2015.

    These goals were based on a common knowledge that our world is faced with very many complex challenges, ranging from socio-economic, environmental challenges; and natural disasters. The 17 SDGs became operational since January, 2016

    How much do we know about these goals and how do we spread the knowledge about them to inspire actions at all levels and across regions.

    The past experiences on developmental agenda implementation revealed many gaps, including lack of effective stakeholders’ mobilization and participation, which is addressed by the new shift to inclusiveness and ownership.

    In response to, and in recognition of the above facts, we note that Nigeria is a religious country and in fact it is very rare to find a Nigerian without religious inclination.

    In other words, every citizen has one or more religious leader (s) he or she is attached to. More so, statistics show that there are more worship places in every settlement and cities than socio-economic structures.

     

    Evidence of facts

    Evidence reveals that every class in our society respects religious leadership even more than government institutions.

    Therefore, engagement of religions in the process of implementation of, and action on SDGs is very crucial to achieving the deliverables of the Agenda at all levels.

     

    Priority

    The United Nations Sustainable Development Solutions Network, Nigeria (SDSN Nigeria) prioritizes holding this high level forum with religious leaders in the country under the umbrella of Nigerian Supreme Council for Islamic Affairs (NSCIA) the Christian Association of Nigeria (CAN) and Traditional Religion Groups.

    “We believe that this choice of ours is very strategic, timely and relevant to all of us especially at this period when our country is making progress in the war against extremism, terrorism, corruption, intolerance, insecurity, economic recession, unemployment and all sort of humanitarian crises.

     

    Sustaining the momentum

    More than ever before, we need to maintain the tempo and sustain the progress for increased momentum in peace, economic recovery, socio-welfare and security, human prosperity and safe environment

    We hope that the forum will help in propagating the ideas of SDGs for optimization of its benefit to humanity. The space here does not allow for details.

     

    History of Sustainable Development

    In a paper delivered through Power Point by Dr. S.O. Jimoh of the Department of Forest Resources Management, University of Ibadan and entitled: ‘The Roots of the Concept of ‘Sustainability’, the idea of ‘progress ‘ as the antecedent to the notions of ‘development’ became known.

    In the lecture, Dr. Jimoh, quoting one Bury 1932,  explained that the idea of progress as emphasizing ‘that civilization has moved, is moving, and will move in a desirable direction’ .

    “Thinking about progress slowly started surfacing during the classical Greco-Roman period (Guthrie, 1950)

     

    The Roots…

    The French scientist, Fontenelle first articulated the Idea of ‘Progress’ in 1683 saying that mankind, with the new science and improved technology had entered on a road of necessary and unlimited progress’ (Von Wright, 1997).

    “The idea reached its peak in the Western civilization in the period between 1750 and 1900. During that period, the link between progress and modern, empirical, and exact science was consolidated according to Nisbet,1980 and Von Wright,1997.

     

    The Revolution

    The Industrial Revolution started unfolding on the world stage from the 18th century; irrevocably transforming human societies (Worster,1993). According to Worster (1993),Industrialization caused ‘the greatest revolution in outlook that has ever taken place’.

    It led people to think that it was right for them to dominate the natural order and radically transform it into consumer goods.

    The benefits and rewards of the world economic system flowed primarily to the industrial countries, the gap between the rich and poor societies widened.

     

    Environmental degradation

    A big issue linked to industrial development, was environmental degradation caused by an unprecedented exploitation of raw materials on a global scale as indicated by Goudie, 1986 and Boyden 1997. This led to a growing concern universally, about ‘sustainability’.

     

    Emergence of the term ‘Sustainability’

    Landmarks in Sustainable Development Since 1968 when the International Conference for ‘Rational Use and Conservation of the Biosphere’ held in Paris, France was organized by UNESCO, series of similar conferences have been held on ecological sustainable development.

     

    1987 Report on Environment

    In 1987, the report of the World Commission on Environment and Development popularized the term ‘Sustainable Development’. The report now known as Our Common Future  Brundtland Report defined ‘sustainable development’ as “…development that meets the needs of the present without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their own needs.”

    Also, in 1992 the United Nations Conference on Environment and Development held in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil; and known as Earth Summit was established as a common goal of human development for about160 countries that attended the meeting.

    It recognized sustainable management of forests as key component to sustainable development and included non-binding Statement of Forest Principles that provided guidelines for sustainable forest management. Many other conferences were held around the world to salvage the world from the threat of environment.

     

    Conclusion

    The evolution of the concept of Sustainable development is born out of the compelling need to balance the human drive for better living with the necessity to preserve the environment which provides the required resources to power the drive.

    Therefore, for our development to be sustainable, we must manage and utilize resources wisely so that those coming behind can remain useful perpetually.

    The conference was just a first step for religious bodies to get familiar with the SDG and environment. More may be written in this column on this subject as further efforts are made along this line to educate Nigerian public through religious leaders.