By Oluwakemi Oladipo
Mr Matthias Schmale, United Nation Resident and Humanitarian Coordinator in Nigeria, says there is the need for accelerated efforts towards achieving the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) in the country.
Schmale said this at the national conference on agenda 2030 and the SDGs organised by the Lagos State University Centre for the Actualisation of the UN Sustainable Development Goals (LASU-SDG) on Monday in Lagos.
The conference with the theme: “At the Midpoint of Agenda 2030 and the Sustainable Development Goals:Which away Nigeria and Africa?” was organised by LASU-SDG in collaboration with the United Nations Information Centre(UNIC), Abuja.
The coordinator said it was imperative that the 2030 agenda deadline of the SDGs is achieved with no one left behind.
According to him, in Nigeria, 133 million people face multidimensional poverty and more than 20 million are unemployed without urgent action.
“The 2030 agenda will become no more than a broken promise to the world’s most vulnerable people despite these many challenges.
“Africa remains a continent of hope and Nigeria a country of hope, because the long term structural endowments of Africa are strong. Africa also is the best investment proposition of the 21st century,” he said.
He noted that universities could be catalytic in three important ways because they have the largest youth population in Africa.
He noted that academia would have the opportunity to shape the design of solutions and policies that could have genuine social impacts.
“The outcomes from this conference will undoubtedly support collective rescue efforts and lay the ground work for the Nigeria’s preparation for next month Global SDGs Summit in New York.
“The UN and Nigeria hope that it will be possible for the Nigerian government to announce further initiatives in New York aimed at creating a social impact friendly environment,”Schmale said.
Prof. Ibiyemi Olatunji-Bello, Vice- Chancellor, LASU, in her remarks urged the university community to make the best use of the opportunity offered by the conference, saying it would be a catalyst for transformative change to achieve the SDGs.
Similarly, Prof. Tayo Ajayi, Director of Centre, LASU-SDG, said that the 2030 agenda for sustainable development envisions a present and future that are economically sustainable, socially inclusive and environmentally resilient.
Ajayi said that the SDGs are a universal call to action to end poverty, safeguard the planet and ensure that all people enjoy peace and prosperity by the year 2030.
“The SDGs agenda covers a wide range of interconnected social, economic and environmental challenges; and the unique functions and expertise of universities are critical for overcoming all of these.
“Arguably, none of the SDGs can be achieved without the universities because they occupy a unique position within the society.
“As such, universities have a critical role in the achievement of the SDGs,” he said.
He added that LASU had keyed into this vision as a teaching and research centre with responsibilities of contributing to the growth and development of students, workers, stakeholders, governments and making global impacts. (NAN) (www.nannews.ng)
Edited by Deborah Coker/Julius Toba-Jegede
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