The Federal Government has reaffirmed that achieving the Sustainable Development Goals hinges on their full integration into national and sub-national development plans, rather than being pursued as isolated initiatives.
The Senior Special Assistant to the President on SDGs, Princess Adejoke Orelope-Adefulire, made this assertion during the North-East Regional Consultation in Gombe, held as part of Nigeria’s 2025 Voluntary National Review preparations for the High-Level Political Forum in New York in July 2025.
Represented by Dr. Bala Yunusa, her Senior Technical Adviser, Orelope-Adefulire explained that the United Nations Economic and Social Council established the High-Level Political Forum as a global review mechanism for the 2030 Agenda. She noted that Nigeria is currently undertaking its third VNR, engaging stakeholders across all six geopolitical zones to assess progress, challenges, and future prospects.
A statement by her Special Assistant on Media and Strategic Communication, Desmond Utomwen, highlighted the urgency of accelerating progress across all SDGs. Citing the 2024 UN Sustainable Development Goals Report, Orelope-Adefulire pointed out that only 17% of SDG targets are on track, nearly 50% show minimal or moderate progress, and over a third have stalled or regressed.
She attributed Nigeria’s slow progress to factors such as dwindling financial resources, the COVID-19 pandemic, and persistent insecurity.
Emphasizing the need for robust Monitoring, Evaluation, and Reporting mechanisms—including SDG Progress Reports and the VNR—she called for stronger collaboration among the public and private sectors, the UN Development System, donor agencies, academia, and civil society to ensure no one is left behind.
Referring to the “Pact for the Future,” adopted during the 79th UN General Assembly, Orelope-Adefulire reiterated the commitment of world leaders to bold, ambitious, and transformative actions for SDG acceleration. She also echoed UN Secretary-General António Guterres’ call for massive investments and effective partnerships to drive critical transitions in food, energy, and digital connectivity.
Acknowledging the contributions of Nigeria’s Multi-Stakeholder Core Working Group for the 2025 VNR, she expressed appreciation to members from various government agencies, the UN Development System, private sector groups, civil society organizations, and academia for their dedication.
The North-East Regional Consultation convened 150 participants from six states to deliberate on institutional frameworks for SDG implementation, progress across the 17 SDGs, and challenges and lessons learned.
Gombe State SDGs Focal Person, Engr. Sulaiman Turaki, described the consultation as a crucial platform shaping Nigeria’s next VNR. He urged stakeholders to actively contribute, ensuring that the review accurately reflects the country’s progress, challenges, and opportunities while upholding the principle of leaving no one behind.
“This gathering underscores our collective commitment to advancing sustainable, inclusive, science-based solutions for the 2030 Agenda,” he said.
Turaki encouraged participants to propose impactful solutions and drive meaningful change in sustainable development across the North-East.
