UNITED NATIONS SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT GOALS: PROBLEMS AND PROSPECTS OF ACHIEVEMENT IN NIGERIA

 

UNITED NATIONS SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT GOALS: PROBLEMS AND PROSPECTS OF ACHIEVEMENT IN NIGERIA

 

BY

 

TORKA BARILOEMOM DUMKA

Department of Political Science

Faculty of Social Sciences, Postgraduate School,

Ignatius Ajuru University of Education,

Rumuolumeni, Port Harcourt, Rivers State

Phone: 08034766786

E-mail: teddybarrysp@yahoo.com

 

And

 

PROF. LYSIAS D. GILBERT

Department of Political Science

Faculty of Social Sciences, Postgraduate School,

Ignatius Ajuru University of Education,

Rumuolumeni, Port Harcourt, Rivers State

Phone: 08166168567

E-mail: lysiasg@yahoo.com

                                                                                          

ABSTRACT

Nigeria is the most populated African Country with relative political influence emanating from its population and natural mineral resources but in spite of this available wealth and resources still suffered incredible and declining levels of development leading to wide spread absolute poverty, unemployment, inequality, inefficient health care and a system characterize by fraud. However the birth of SDGs in Nigeria reawakens the hope of addressing these growing issues. Thus, in order to identify the problem responsible for the Nigeria development challenges and earmark appropriate measures of achieving the prospects of SDGs, this study adopted basic  research methodology with emphasis on secondary data using qualitative approach of analysis to buttress that UN-SDGs is an over view of the global development campaign aim at alleviating poverty and ensure a decent condition of human life globally.This paper seek to evaluate the antecedent of MDGs, in Nigeria, and its offspring’s NEPAD and NAPEP and therefore recommends that SDGs projects should focus more on human capital development and fine-tune new measures of dealing with government mercenaries in order to ex-pouch corrupt practice in projects implementation.

Keywords: MDGs, NEPAD, NAPEP, SDGs, Poverty, Unemployment, Nigeria.  

INTRODUCTION

The quest by the United Nations to meet the basic needs of people around the world at a sustainable rate motivated her to launch several global development campaigns that finally gave birth to SDGs in 1987 through the Bundtland Commission Report. The Commission emphasized that SDGs is “meeting the needs of the present generation without compromising the needs of future generations” (Abraham, 2010:40). This implies that the benefits of SDGs should not decrease and must not be limited to one particular generation, rather it’s should continue to improve on the provisions of human basic needs around the world and no Nation should be left behind. Thus, there is absolutely no gain in the achievement of any development policy if it is not sustained through periodic evaluation to meet the needs of other generations

The analysis of Sustainable Development therefore propel a link between sustainable development, economic development and the concept development itself while the Linear perspective on the other hand viewed development as the capacity of a national economy whose initial economic condition has been more or less static for a long time to generate and sustain an annual increase in its (GNP) at rates of perhaps 5% to 7% or more (Todaro, & Smith, 2004:77). This study is actually limited to the Nigerian milieu hence Nigeria is the most populous nation in Africa, with the inspiration that Africa and Nigeria in particular will change from her old traditional methods of development to a modern and conventional methods that accommodate and preach sustainability of both climate change, environmental deforestation, food production, health, education, good road and people oriented governmental policies of international standards.

Thesis Statement 

United Nations is instrumental in the global campaign for Sustainable Development in order to address the issue of poverty, inequality, unemployment and environmental management at all levels this was launched in 2000 as MDGs that produce other regional development programmes such as NEPADs and NAPEP etc MDGs was later modified to SDGs in 2015, to serve as a link between develop and developing countries with the aim of improving and sustaining the living condition of people around the world, Africa’s and Nigeria inclusive. It is on this premise that the study is propelled to address the issues of national and human capital development, poverty, unemployment and inequality, environmental and democratic stability and human right abuse in Nigeria. Kalagbor, (2004:191) True development has to be people oriented and its must seek to realize the creative potentials of man, enabling him to improve his material conditions of living through the use of available resoureces.     

Statement of Objectives

i.                    Examine the historical perspective of SDGs in Nigeria:

ii.                  Ascertain the problems of SDGs in Nigeria:

iii.                Access the prospects of SDGs in Nigeria:

iv.                Recommend appropriate measures towards the achievement of SDGs.

 

LITERATURE REVIEW

Millennium Development Goals (MDGs)

It is quite imposible to talk about SDGs in Nigeria without relating it to MDGs which was launched ealier in the region to address similar issues as well as NEPAD and NAPEP which higtherto existed as part of the achievement and fufillment of goal 8 of MDGs that encouraged promotion of global partnership for development. The, ultimate aim of MDGs in the 21 century was to reduce by half, the number of people living on less than $1 Dollar a day by the year 2015. These overtly confirm the fact that a cross section of people around the world barely consume or does not even consume materials worth a Dollar per day. Therefore any reduction from 28% in 1990 to 12.7% in 2015 will reduce the number of persons in absolute acute, extreme and sever poverty by 363 million (Prince 2006:126). To achieve these MDGs was spelled out as a road-map to attain the global needs of the poorest populations in the New Millennium with encouraging support from developed societies that has attained the height of development even if human needs are insatiable. The Concept MDGs was built to function as a link between developed and developing countries with the aimed of reducing the population living in poverty by half, however MDGs as a platform that the SDGs ride on has made minor achievement in Nigeria over the years in-line with it eighth point mandate and eighteen target of analysis as inspired by the United Nations in the year 2000. Thus, pave way for the emergence SDGs.

New Partnership for African Development NEPAD/ NAPEP

 NEPADs, is an African own development initiative establish and package by African leaders on 2^nd July 2001, at the Lusaka AU Summit in Zambia to promote good governance and revenue diversification, leadership and responsibility, efficient and effective bureaucracy and African Peer Review Mechanism (APRM). The partnership resulted from joining together the Millennium Partnership for the African Recovery Programme (MAP) and Omega Plan (OP) through the request of AU leaders. The major initiators of the programme were five African heads of state Thus, African leaders were energize and encourage to championed the course of African Development that best suit her culture, continent and according to the needs of the African people, by creating a regional Development Institution through the marshal plan of MDGs. While NEPAD where originally designed by the Nigerian government in 2001 with the sole aimed of poverty reduction; its existence was map to replace the poverty Alleviation programme (PAP). At its inception NAPEP was shadow with the responsibilities of coordinating institutions ministries and to develops plans action towards the reduction of poverty, as well as training youths in vocational trades, to support internship, micro-credit and create employment in the automobile industry. According to Atojoko (2007:32), one of the measures introduced to reduce unemployment was the establishment of NAPEP in line with the central objectives of MDGs. Njoku, (2010:309) Described PAP as a people oriented policy action carried out by the government, non-governmental organization and agencies targeted at addressing immediately those issues and factors that distorts people daily incomes and thereafter affects their living standards leading them to poverty         

 

 

The Nature of Sustainable Development

This concept was first use in 1987, through the Brundtland Report to the Governing Council of the United Nations Environmental Programme UNEP; it was these reports that capture the first definition of sustainable development “as meeting the needs of the present generation without compromising the needs of the future generation”. These definitions has stand tall through ages and gave birth to other definitions from renounced scholars, thus according to Jonathan, (2000:31) Sustainable Development is defined as “the development which meets the need of the present without compromising the ability of the future generation to meet their own needs with particular interest in the three areas of sustainable development which are economic, environmental and social issues. While Prince (2006:81) posits that Sustainable Development is the improvement of people’s lifestyles through an improvement of capabilities that includes education, incomes, skills and employment. Though according to the direct government website of the United Kingdom refer to “Sustainable Development as a better quality of life now and for generations to come. The above foregoing definitions are interrelated by taken cognizance of the present and future generation as a merging of consideration in sustainable development. However Sustainable Development is the ability to afford the desire needs of all in the present generation without doubting or compromising about the desire needs of the future generation and environmental sustainability.

THEORETICAL FRAMEWORK

For the purpose of this study, modernization theory (Development model) in the discipline of social science was chosen to give holistic explanation to the study. The theory was doctored into existence through the influence of some group of scholars such as Rostow, (1961:15), Lewis, (1984:28), Talcott, (1964:53). Their interest was tilted towards the needs that the rest of the world should focused on the western model of modernity and pattern their society like that of the west in order to progress. The applicability of this theories to the context of our discussion as it concerned Nigeria will be more accommodating, hence Nigeria a primitive and traditional societies got involve in the wave of modern development through interest, likeness and imitation of a decent, well plan societies and environment mostly from the highly developed Nations, who by their position, power both economic, military and technologies became the strength and structures to the operations of United Nations, which served as a vehicle or instrument that intensified the campaigned and implementation of “Marshall plan” to the developing Nations.

METHODOLOGY

Based on the nature of this study, basic research methodology which is also refer to as explanatory or expository research was used for this investigation. This method was considered most appropriate because of its tenacity to discovered problems and answers to certain existing questions which is the hope of this very research as it was carefully structure along the scientific pattern of inquiry in order to give strength and direction to a positive outcome. Therefore, the study adopted descriptive approach of research design while the nature and source of data laid emphasis toward secondary methods taking into account inference of distinguished scholars. While the method and instrument of data collection was tied to various literature publications at our disposal through frequent used of the national, state school and UNDP libraries and finally content and qualitative analysis was explored without any biase.

DATA PRESENTATION AND ANALYSIS

The Historical Overview of SDGs in Nigeria: The concept was introduce through the 1987 Brundtland Commission Report to the Governing council of UNEP which later gave birth to the 1992 UNCED, in Riode Janrio, Brazil were world leaders gathered to chart a new course especially on environmental management which produce the Agenda 21, that recognize information, integration and broad public participation as ingredient that will encourage mutual inter-dependence. Thus the United Nations Summit on 25^th December, 2015 outline 17 point agenda for SDGs as a new global concept of improving peoples living condition around the world with the aims to end poverty, inequality, unemployment and conservation of the entire ecosystem by 2030. Though SDGs was established on the foundation of MDGs which has hitherto made progress in some countries, the formal now served as an institution of actualizing the agenda of the later.

Table 1: Display the Sustainable Development Goals, (SDGs) 17 Point Agenda

Goal1: Poverty	End poverty in all its forms everywhere
Goal 2: Food	End hunger, achieve food security and improved nutrition  and promote sustainable agriculture.
Goal 3: Health	Ensure healthy lives and promote well-being for all at all levels.
Goal 4: Education	Ensure inclusive and equitable equality education and promote lifelong learning opportunities for all.
Goal 5: Women	Achieve gender equality and empower all women and girls.
Goals 6: Water	Ensure availability and sustainable management of water and sanitation for all
Goals 7: Energy	Ensure access to affordable, reliable, sustainable and modern energy for all.
Goals 8:  Economy	Promote sustained inclusive and sustainable economic growth, full and productive empl                                                                                                                                                                                               oyment and decent work.
Goals 9: Infrastructure	Build resident infrastructure, promote inclusive and sustainable industrialization and foster innovation.
Goals 10: Inequality	Reduce inequality within and among countries
Goals 11: Habitation	Make cities and human settlements inclusive, safe, resilient and sustainable.
Goals 12: Consumption	Ensure sustainable consumption and production patterns.
Goals 13: Climate	Take urgent action to combat climate change and its impact.
Goals 14: Marine	Ecosystem conserved and sustainably uses the oceans, seas and marine resources for sustainable development.
Goals 15: Ecosystem	Protect, restore and sustainably use of terrestrial, ecosystem, sustainably manage forest, combat desertification and half and revere land degradation.
Goal 16: Institution	Promote peaceful and inclusive societies for sustainable development, provide access to justice for all and build effective, accountable and inclusive institutions at all levels.
Goal 17: Sustainability	Strengthen the means of implementation and revitalized the global partnership for sustainable development.

Source: Mohammed (2017:95)

The Prospects of Achieving SDGs in Nigeria after Three Years of no Effect

Human Capital Development

The concept of development in these categories is centre on people, any nation that want to succeed in development and growth should not hesitate to invest heavily in human development, because the people are the end and means of development. The future of Nigerian development and economy growth depend on the readiness and commitment of government on human investment. Development of human resources provides a good ground for quality education, improve health care, food security and improve life expectancy (Linus, 2007:274).

Environmental Management

The most critical issue in our contemporary society is environmental sustainability which is one of the road map to development. Most countries in Africa paid leap service to environmental management and by so doing undermines human welfare. Environment in this respect according to World Bank, (1989) consist of ecological system, the trees, and grasses, which provide fuel and fodder, and which prevent erosion, provide water catchments, ameliorate climate changes and provide wildlife. 

Political Development

The end point of any development strategy is sustainability, most development plans ever embark on in Nigeria, lacks basic ingredients and its becomes necessary to transit from the traditional political system to a modern political system that will embrace the western political ideologies for the purpose and realization of sustainable growth. However political progress which forms the basis of development must involve popular participation of various organs and structures of government interdependently

Effective and Regular Communication

communication is one key ingredients that fastract development at all cost and no nations can confidently survive without engaging the citizens in a constant communication on the nature of government policies as regards development, when majority of the citizens are held incommunicado from government policies that concerned them, how then will they be able to fit into it? Lack of proper education and information about the nature and purpose of SDGs reduce its range of achievement, therefore the local people should be consulted by the agencies of these institution to ascertain amongst the numerous projects which one could positively affects them most

Conclusion

In relation to the data collected in the analysis of this investigation. It is pertinent to conclude that development does not come through importation of goods rather development is cultivated and development is imitations of ideas through the concept of modernization, therefore Nigerian leadership should look inward and fabricate better structures and policies that will strengthen development and pave the way for sustainability, because one cannot sustain what you don’t have. It is virtually these structures that the success of global development campaigned will relied on, through the institution of UN–SDGs. Regional and Sub–regional development institutions e.g., NEPAD and NAPEP, should be revitalize and strengthen to pursue similar goals with the SDGs at the local levels, hence the global development institution cannot afford to implement and achieve its policies in all the nooks and crannies of Nigeria without a honest, patriotic and committed host government through the involvement of popular citizens participation.

Recommendations

1.                  Leadership in Nigeria should be seen as service to the people and not service to self or tribe as appeared in the past.

2.                  Nigerian government should ensure more concerted effort to fight corruption at all levels and in all forms e.g. diversion of project materials and nepotism etc.

3.                  The law should be appraise to exonerate those who invest stolen money in Nigeria to the tune of building production companies and affordable hospitals.

4.                  Employment age in Nigeria at this levels of development should not be limited to 18 and not more than 22 years, rather it’s should be place at 35 if not 40.

5.                  Security is the top most priority of any responsible government; hence government should take security issue more seriously.

6.                  .The Ogoni UNEP Report should be sincerely and honestly implemented by government in accordance with international standard.

 

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