The Senior Special Assistant the President on SDGs, Princess Adejoke Orelope-Adefulire has described the strategic role of the civil society organizations as very key to the overall implementation and achievement of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) in Nigeria, stating that her Office (OSSAP-SDGs) remains ever ready to discuss with CSOs on issues around SDGs for acceleration of sustainable development that will ensure promises of the government are implemented strategically to achieve our collective aspirations.
Princess Orelope-Adefulire made this assertion when the President of the Executive Council of the over 100,000 Civil Society Strategy Group on SDGs in Nigeria, Dr. Uzodinma Aderieje paid her office a courtesy visit on the 4th of September, 2024. The SSAP-SDGs said that “those behind the conceptualization of SDGs before it was unveiled in 2015 knew that we owe ourselves responsibilities, both public and private sector, to come together, think together and make use of the expertise, the commitment and seriousness of the private sector, so that together we achieve sustainable development goals that leaves no one behind”.
Princess Adejoke stressed the importance of CSO collaboration with OSSAP-SDGs for acceleration of SDGs implementation in Nigeria, pointing out that though there are challenges posed globally and nationally, cases like COVID 19, wars, banditry, kidnapping, herders – farmer’s crises and insurgency in the north east, the government is working hard to surmount the effect of these distractions.
She commended the role of the CSOs, noting that the world leaders knew that they occupy a very important place in the overall implementation and achievement of the SDGs, which is the reason they were highlighted among other development partners.
Princess Adejoke enjoined the CSOs President and his group to make more concerted efforts to reach out to other organizations to get more support and collaborations to enable them reach out to where SDGs cannot reach. This according to her will “carefully bring together the poor and the vulnerable from wherever they are, to make them strong and part of development as it is only when this is done that we can say we have achieved SDGs”. The Presidential Aide promised her office assistance to CSO group where ever possible so that together we can achieve SDGs.
Earlier in his address the Executive Council Chairman of the CSO group, Dr. Uzodinma Adirieje who congratulated the SSAP-SDGs on her reappointment and numerous awards and honors conferred on her, including the SDGs champion award by the United Nation, promised his group’s continuous commitment to the overall achievement of SDGs targets with meaning engagement of the civil societies in Nigeria.
In her closing remark, the Head of Policy and Strategy Unit of the OSSAP-SDGs Mrs. Patricia Aniebue pointed out that building synergies and collaborating with civil society group especially, in the areas of data sharing initiatives will enhance collective understanding and facilitate cross-sectoral approaches to solving pressing issues in Nigeria.
Jimoh O. Abdulsalam
Office of the Senior Special Assistant to the President on SDGs
