Examining Nigeria’s Performance in SDGs

Ugo Aliogo examines Nigeria’s performance in Sustainable Development Goals under President Muhammadu Buhari’s administration

The Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), also known as the Global Goals, were adopted by all United Nations Member States in 2015 as a universal call to action to end poverty, protect the planet and ensure that all people enjoy peace and prosperity by 2030.

The 17 SDGs are integrated that is, they recognize that action in one area will affect outcomes in others, and that development must balance social, economic and environmental sustainability.

Through the pledge to leave no one behind, countries have committed to fast-track progress for those furthest behind first. That is why the SDGs are designed to bring the world to several life-changing ‘zeros’, including zero poverty, hunger, AIDS and discrimination against women and girls.

Everyone is needed to reach these ambitious targets. The creativity, knowhow, technology and financial resources from all of society is necessary to achieve the SDGs in every context.

SDGs in Nigeria

The United Nation Development Programme (UNDP) in a statement published on their website stated that since the adoption of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), Nigeria has continued to demonstrate its commitment to the SDGs promise through leadership and ownership of the implementation process.

The UNDP in the statement said they are providing support through provision of technical assistance to the Office of the Senior Special Advisor to the President on SDGs (OSSAP) and line ministries in an effort to ensure that planning and budgeting for development activities in the country are done within the framework of the SDGs.

The UNDP stated that using lessons learnt from the MDGs era, they are working closely with the Government of Nigeria and other partners in ensuring that the SDGs are efficient and effectively implemented and that resources are allocated to sectors of the economy that will yield highest dividend for the poor and vulnerable millions across the country.

The statement revealed that the UN body agency has supported the Government of Nigeria in conducting the SDGs data mapping exercise and conducting a baseline survey whose results have been useful in developing baseline indicators for SDGs implementation, monitoring and reporting in the country.

It also noted that the baseline survey continues to be updated by-annually to reflect current situation and changing trends in the country, adding that in line with conducting various advocacy and awareness activities with several government ministries, departments and agencies, they have supported initiatives aimed at promoting strategic engagements around the SDGs.

According to the statement: “With our support, the government developed the Private Sector Engagement Strategy which provides for and recommended the establishment of the first-ever Private Sector Advisory Group on SDGs. We have also supported the establishment of SDGs Development Partners Forum, which we also anchor.

“We provide both technical and financial support toward ongoing efforts aimed at integrating the SDGs into national and State-level policies, plans and budgets. In support of Government’s efforts aimed at sharing its experiences so far, we are providing technical support towards the development of Voluntary National Reviews (VNR).

“The VNRs facilitate the sharing of experiences, including successes, challenges and lessons learned, with a view to accelerating the implementation of the 2030 Agenda. The NRVs will serves as a basis for anticipated regular reviews by the high-level political forum (HLPF) meetings held every year. The VNRs also seek to strengthen policies and institutions of governments and to mobilize partnerships.

“As the UN’s agency mandated to eradicate poverty, UNDP will continue supporting the Governments and people of Nigeria in tackling the new agenda and taking it forward over the next couple of years. We will continue to provide support to the as we all continue on this long path towards the SDGs promise- a promise of a just, equitable and sustainable planet – our common heritage; a promise of peace and prosperity for all.”

Global Goals in Africa

The statement argued that besides the 2030 Agenda, African countries have committed to implement the African Union Agenda 2063, which is both a vision and a plan to build a more prosperous Africa in 50 years. It also noted that the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development acknowledges the importance of the AU Agenda 2063 and considers it an integral part of it.

The statement revealed that Africa has made significant progress on the Millennium Development Goals, including enrolling more children in primary school, particularly girls, increasing the representation of women in national parliaments, and reducing child and maternal deaths and the proportion of people infected with HIV.

The statement added that building on this progress, several countries are already taking steps to translate the ambitions articulated in the 2030 Agenda into tangible outcomes for their people; they are beginning with integrating the SDGs into their national visions and plan.

Experts’ Opinion

In his view, the Manager, Social Mobolisation, ActionAid Nigeria (AAN), Adedutan Adewale, said Nigeria’s reality is filled with social issues caused by poverty with healthcare being a major one, adding that the country has a population of about 200 million with more than 83million of its population living below the poverty line of $381.75 per year (WHO) 2019.

“Poverty is a state of absence of financial resources and essentials required to have a basic and decent standard of living. For someone or a community to be termed poor or be said to be experiencing poverty, the level of employment and income would be low, and necessities like healthy food, clean water, medical needs/supplies, and poor housing almost unattainable,” he said.

He stated that according to the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) poverty concerns the inability to sufficiently cater for necessities such as shelter, food, and clothing, noting that it is also the inability to meet standard obligations socially and economically.

He disclosed that limited access to basic things such as social and economic infrastructures such as portable water, education, and most importantly health limits that are required to provide chances of having an advanced lifestyle to the best standards.

He remarked that the relationship of poverty and healthcare is the inability to afford things needed to acquire and improve quality healthy needs such as good amount of nutritious/quality food and access to healthcare.

In his submission, the Executive Director, Nigeria Network of NGOs, Oyebisi Oluseyi, said a review of the SDGs under the President Muhammadu Buhari administration must take into context the various development plans development within this period, budgetary allocations, and actual spending which in essence would provide the primary goals that the administration has focused on in the last seven to eight years.

He hinted that the conversation must be situated the within the dwindling economic resources and most recently the impact of COVID-19 including the push and pull fact associated with corruption, ‘inefficiency, decades of infrastructure neglect, uncontrolled population growth, weak and unfair tax system and others’.

According to Adewale, “There seems to be a better understanding of what the SDGs are, and it is good to see that the country has made efforts through the Office of the Special Adviser to the President to conduct simulations that has shown what the realities for attaining the SDGs in Nigeria look like including developing statistical indicators for measuring progress and track performance.

“In my anecdotal analysis, I have seen the Federal Government oscillating its priorities on the SDGs between Goals 16 -reducing illicit financial and arm flow, reduce corruption and bribery (through the fight against corruption), legal identity for all (NIN verification), reduce all forms of violence. While progress on these issues is subject to debate, we have largely witnessed rhetoric’s, a sense of narrative and government action in relation to the goal.”

Adewale noted that a poverty headcount done in 2019 showed that 40.1 per cent of the Nigerian population lived in extreme poverty (EU Statista 2019).

He revealed that states across the country regardless of their population have a discouraging number of hospitals and an aggressively understaffed number of health workers.

Adewale, who referred to a study by the Africa Report, said in Lagos State for instance, there are only 26-registered government general hospitals expected to cater to 21 million of its population, stating that the report automatically indicates that healthcare services would be poor and insufficient.

According to him, “Any government’s main concern should be the wellbeing of its citizens and provision of health facilities to ensure that when the need arises, an adequate system is in place to care for the sick and vulnerable to utilize its human capital. The absence of sufficient health workers and facilities implies that expectant mothers, critically ill and aged people have limited or no access to health facilities and services. Healthcare facilities are vital to the health of every individual from childbirth and continuously until death to allow a good way of living. As a result of poor commitment to SDGs implementation, and partly because of corruption within the government and an inability to see through with health projects, disbursements of funds and implementation of healthcare policies, maternity facilities are poorly run and in turn creates a high mortality and morbidity rates.

“Nigeria’s security situation in recent times has continued to deteriorate aggressively leading to displacements, slow economic growth, and destruction of physical infrastructure. Economic activities have been affected and discouraged foreign investments. Adversely, this had had a great impact on the progress of the country’s economy. Businesses are unable to grow because raw materials cannot be transported or delivered to consumers, oil and gas lines are vandalised, human resource is reduced from actions of killings and kidnapping.”

He lamented that the country still has poor infrastructure leading to low foreign investment and unemployment, adding that poor infrastructure also causes health hazards, and the middle-class homes are in serious economic ailment pushing more people into poverty.

He stated that education is said to be the bedrock of society and therefore carries a lot of importance, noting that Nigeria lacks a solid public educational system and underserves its population.

Implementation of SDGs

The AAN Socialisation Manager espoused that a total number of 10.5 million children in Nigeria are out of school and 60 per cent of them young women, pointing out that education provides an enabling environment for acquiring of skills and basic knowledge.

Continuing, Adewale added: “Recently, Nigeria has continued to suffer terrorist activities especially in the north where educational participation is low and female education frowned upon by many parents. These attacks have included kidnapping of school students from their hostels. More than ever before, parents are frightened to send their wards to school. For a region that has more teenage and early pregnancies recorded, it is a disservice for young women to be kept away from the four walls of a classroom. This negates the expectations of SDGs.

“In terms of SDGs implementation, Nigeria is doing worse than it is expected. Because the systems don’t work and there has been a continuous dwindle in terms of implementation, infrastructure, and manpower (healthcare workers brain drain). Tackling the SDGs agenda is not at the expected level. To race up with the aim of taking it forward before 2030 requires support from all the citizens. It is essential that there is awareness-raising, advocacy, implementation and monitoring of the SDGs at all levels to harness the agendas effectively and avoid confusion, and or gaps in the modest actions on ground. The government must do more at all levels to freely use every resource to support achieving SDGs. Though, the international community and civil society organisations are assisting well towards achieving SDGs, the national government, and the private sector are not doing enough to join in on working to localise the SDGs across the country.

“For the resources and population of people in Nigeria, we haven’t fared so well because basic social needs like health care, education, and eradication poverty are still very much a part of our society. The government has almost forgotten the pact to ensure SDGs are met. The significant aspect where we are making modest protest is on agriculture and farming and even at that, prices of foodstuffs are still hitting the roof.”

Oluseyi argued that a critical analysis of the budget and its implementation can provide the data needed to capture implementation.
He further explained that implementation at the national and sub-national level is yet to be transformative in ways that lifts can millions out of poverty and leaves no one behind.

He added that the current national development plans and strategies if properly implemented and financed have the potential of setting the country on the part to meeting the goals.

According to him, “Implementation will however need a bureaucracy that can translate policy to action and learning to retooling government programmes and projects in ways that are purificatory and takes into consideration the needs of diverse populations across Nigerian communities without neglecting gender and social inclusion including managing the nation’s diversity. Both government, private sector and civil society must mobilise resources within the context of Goal 17- partnership for the goals- to scale up progress where governments priorities seem to be, where they are not properly aligned, a multistakeholder approach to finding a means of implementation and to amplify progress towards meeting the goals.”