A Development Consultant, Prof. Emmanuel Oladipo has adviced the Federal Government to adopt an integrated approach in implementing the 17 Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) to fast-track development in the country.
Oladipo told the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Abuja on Tuesday that achieving the goals required a multiple stakeholder’s involvement and approach.
He said focusing on some goals without making it holistic would hamper slow development of the economy.
“That is the key message of SDGs; the message is to have integrated, comprehensive, cross sectorial and multiple stakeholders involvement approach that will be able to achieve most of these goals,’’ he said.
Oladipo, however, said that focusing on some aspect of the goals without focusing on all the goals could lead to social class conflict.
“It is easy to fight Boko Haram, but when it becomes a social class conflict, it is difficult to address it.
“I read in a newspaper that only two per cent of Nigerians own 90 per cent of the money in the banks; that is not a good sign.
“How do you cater for majority of Nigerians that are poor? I think that is where the focus of any government of this country should be.
“How do I cater for about 230 million people projection in about 2030 or 2050.’’
The don said that there was the need for the country to come up with long term planning strategies that would address the growing population.
He said that focusing on short intervention programmes would not help to achieve sustainable development.
“What do we need to do, let us think ahead so that we will not be looking at short intervention that will help us to achieve one thing.
“For example, if we are able to eradicate polio, fine but if you eradicate polio, you create a healthier environment and increase birth rate, but the population will keep on growing.
“If you don’t address the issue of how to help people to think that it is not just to have children, but that they must have means of catering for them.
“There is no religion that says you must have children and you must not cater for them; both Christians and Muslims believe that children are gift from God.
“So, we need to give development the focus of humanity, how can this development help us to really make our lives better than what it is today.’’
NAN reports that SDG, which its implementation began on Jan. 1, was anchored on the eight Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) that ended on Dec. 31, 2015.
The SDGs, consisting of 17 goals and 169 targets, is expected to wipe out poverty, address inequality, and tackle climate change over the next 15 years.
It is expected to address the three issues of sustainable development, namely: social, economic, and the environmental dimensions.
It is designed to tackle issues of peace, justice, and effectiveness of relevant institutions as well as wipe out poverty, fight inequality and tackle climate change over the next 15 years. (NAN)
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