By SADIQ ABUBAKAR, Maiduguri –
The Director United Nations Information Center (UNIC), Dr. Ronald D. Kayanja has said that with the renewed efforts of the federal government collaboration with UNIC in Nigeria, by the year 2030, three major dimensions of social, economic and environment comprising of poverty ratio, hunger and maternal mortality ratio will be improved and reduced to the nearest minimum if not eradicated.
He also added that the quality of children’s education will be improved and also ensure gender equality, women and girls empowerment.
Dr. Kayanja, stated this at a two day training workshop on Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) organized for Borno State Journalists by UNIC and Media Awareness and Information Center (MAIN).
He noted that one of goals of the SDGs is also to achieve universal and equitable access to safe and affordable drinking water by 2030.
According to him, by 2030, SDGs programmes will ensure universal access to affordable, reliable and modern energy services, promote sustained inclusive and sustainable economic growth, industrialization, innovations and employment opportunities.
The Director noted that it was expected that there would be reduction in inequality within and among community of nations.
According to him, SDGs will also implement a 10 year framework of programmes on sustainable consumption and production , strengthen Resilience and adaptive capacity in climate change and related hazards and natural disasters while preventing significantly to reduce marine pollution of all kinds , particularly, from land based activities including marine debris and nutrient pollution.
Dr. Kayanja maunatined also that the Agenda 2020 will ensure the conversation, restoration and Sustainable use of terrestrial and inland freshwater ecosystems and their services in places like forests, wetlands, mountains and dry lands in line with obligations under International agreements while also reducing all drums of violence and related death rates everywhere towards promoting peaceful and inclusive society for Sustainable Development.
He noted that the Agenda will also strengthen the means of implementation and revitalization of global partnership for Sustainable Development.
On his part, a resource person, Dr. Bala Yunusa, who is the Senior Technical Adviser to the SSA to the President on SDGs, dwelt on the SDGs Baseline, Achievements and Challenges of the 169 targets as well as partnerships with both local and International agencies, governments and the private sector.
Dr. Bala explained that Nigeria benefitted from both the MDGs and SDGs at remarkable ratio as recorded by the Monitoring and Evaluation indicators from the statistical targets and goals, especially, in the past 5 years and the projected next 5 years.
He also disclosed that the SDGs activities have been written and published in three major languages of Nigeria out of the 371 languages in Nigeria due to budget limitations, while noting that most of the information on SDGs are technical as a lot of statistical data and ratios are involved in the assessment process.
