About one year after adopting the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), Nigeria is yet to chart a course or action plan for its implementation. The Sustainable Development Goals officially known as the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development is a set of seventeen aspirational Global Goals with 169 targets between them. It is spearheaded by the United Nations, through a deliberative process involving its 194-member states as well as the global civil society. These goals were broadly adopted and ratified by the United Nations as contained in its Resolution A/RES/70/1 of 25 September 2015.

The SDGs is a statement of intent for inclusive growth and shared development best understood by the assertion by the immediate past Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon that “there can be no plan B, because there is no planet B”. The Intergovernmental Negotiations on the Post 2015 Developmental Agenda began in January 2015 and ended in august 2015, following from which a final document was adopted at the UN Sustainable Development Summit September 25-27 2015 in New York. The title of the agenda was Transforming our world: the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development.

The 17 goals include: No poverty, Zero hunger, Good health and wellbeing, Quality education, Gender equality, Clean water and Sanitation, Affordable and clean energy, Decent work and economic growth, Industry, innovation and infrastructure, Reduced inequalities, Sustainable production and consumption, Climate action, Life below water, Life on land, Peace justice and strong institutions, Partnership for the goals. These lofty goals are laced with 169 indicators and 304 targets to show compliance. It is intended that member countries, the United Nations and civil society will develop country and situation specific modalities in order to provide a diversity of perspectives and experience.

It was hoped that Nigeria would learn from the many lessons of the MDGs and develop ingenious frameworks and mechanism built upon experiences for the achievement of the SDGs. Sadly, apart from developing the Intended Nationally Determined Contribution INDC policy document, there are no notable policy document, and initiatives for the achievement of these new lofty global goals.

About one year down the line, Nigeria is currently enmeshed in a terrible economic recession and political uncertainty which has pushed any positive discuss on the sustainable development goals’ achievement to the background. The SDGs were designed such that respective governments of member countries would adopt and adapt its frameworks in their policy design. The current recession is ironically a window of opportunity for Nigeria to re-engineer its developmental strides. Unfortunately, this window of opportunity is always going to be lost because of the pertinent uncertainties as regards the chain of command in the Nigerian presidency.

The current recession is ironically a window of opportunity for Nigeria to re-engineer its developmental strides.



The SDGs seems to be plagued by the same diseases that accounted for the poor achievement of the MDGs. The MDGs failed to commence early which had a negative impact on both the output and outcome of the latter years. The SDGs seem to be suffering from this syndrome giving the paucity of ideas, action plans and initiatives. As identified in the MDGs end line report, local ownership of action plans and ideas is important to the success of any program given that it such programs thrive on local commitments and participatory partnership programs. Sadly, the SDGs are still unpopular in Nigeria one year after its adoption.

Sadly, the SDGs are still unpopular in Nigeria one year after their adoption.



The SDGs implementation in Nigeria seems to be suffering from paucity of funds. For while the debt relief gains broadened the fiscal space for MDGs programs financing, the SDGs cannot lay claim to similar special funding advantage. This situation is further aggravated by the biting economic recession and paucity of funds for extra ministerial activities

At the heart of the many diseases, plaguing the SDGs is the problem of insufficient political will. The importance and strategic value of the SDGs for national development, inclusive growth and shared prosperity seems to be lost on the political class. Rather than organize a high level think-tank to map and chart Nigeria’s path to shared prosperity, there is instead a contriving by the political class to miss an important window of opportunity that is the SDGs, to lift Nigeria from the shackles of underdevelopment, poverty, hunger, inequality, insurgency and perpetual lack of the basic amenities of life.

There is instead a contriving by the political class to miss an important window of opportunity that is the SDGs

An important policy initiative for national development as the SDGs ought to be strongly coordinated. Unfortunately, just like its predecessor the MDGs, there seems to be no strong coordination of the SDGs between and among the tiers of government in Nigeria. In a large federation like Nigeria, there ought to be in place an appropriate inter-governmental relations model to mark progress of outputs and outcomes of the many different indicators and targets. Presently, SDGs activities are domiciled at the office of the special adviser to the president on the SDGs. While this office has proved their weight in gold, it ought to be strengthened to ensure a robust and diverse intervention activity that integrates everyone, especially the greater number of vulnerable Nigerians in the national quest for shared prosperity.

Nigeria ought to rise to the occasion and champion the onward march to sustainability by tailoring her policy prescriptions to the frameworks of the SDGs. There ought to be institutional arrangements for the SDGs that is, a clear outline of institutional mandates, responsibilities and inter-relationships at all levels of government. The Nigerian government ought to develop funding mechanisms and pathways. SDGs related projects ought to identified and allocated more financial resources. Funding is critical to the achievement of the many initiatives and programs that will make up the SDGs.

Governments at all levels in Nigeria ought to red-dedicate themselves towards the achievement of the SDGs. Governments must encourage and renew partnerships for the SDGs. The capacities and experience of all developmental actors namely local communities, citizens organizations, women, youth, private sector, donors, civil society organizations, among others ought to be utilized to ensure buy-in, commitment and goal championing.
http://www.sustainabilitywatchngr.com/index.php/special-report/item/591-nigeria-s-sustainable-development-goals-outlook