Salvaging the SDGs: Nigeria’s path to 2030

The month of September was an exciting time for Heads of Government, United Nations Missions, Ministries of Foreign Affairs, the private sector, and civil society organisations across the world. We came together for the United Nations General Assembly.

Weeks and months before, the preparatory work saw negotiations around texts to be adopted by world leaders. This year’s sessions were different as they marked the adoption of the “Pact of the Future”— a document recommitting our leaders to doubling efforts in ending poverty, recommitment to multilateralism, security council reforms, protection, and promoting civic space among others.

The pact for the Future, along with the Global Digital Compact and the Declaration of Future Generations, was adopted on September 22, 2024, marking the culmination of 18 months of intense negotiations. The process leading to its adoption was almost derailed by geopolitical tensions, with Russia and a coalition of countries presenting last-minute amendments aimed at forcing a vote, breaking consensus, and sinking the pact. However, 143 countries, including all 54 African nations, voted against Russia’s amendment, with only six countries—Iran, Belarus, North Korea, Nicaragua, Sudan, and Syria—supporting the proposal. Fifteen countries abstained.

The pact for the Future is coming at a perfect time when we need to emphasize the many ways the world leaders including the Nigerian government can reset prosperity for its people and planet. While it reaffirms collective commitments across several pressing global issues—from sustainable development to climate change and digital governance—its adoption comes at a time when in Nigeria the costs of food, clothing, shelter, health care, childcare, and utilities are on the increase, financial hardship and inflation are pushing more people and families into poverty.
And yet, too much of the responsibility to get by is falling on everyday Nigerians who can afford some charity including acts of kindness, and on nonprofits―traditional and religious nonprofits, as the resources available to the government for social investments is little amidst a debt crisis.
At the United Nations, I joined the debate on freeing resources for countries in the Global South through a debt forgiveness programme that will see debt servicing costs allocated in national budgets being redirected to poverty reduction or social investment programmes.  These were my submissions as I joined the Governments of Brazil and South Africa on a panel on “Advancing Global Governance Reform: Harnessing Synergies of SOTF and G20 for a Resilient Future”.

Countries such as Nigeria need to be able to raise resources and knowledge for the implementation of social policies and technologies that can support efforts in lifting millions out of poverty and in effectively reducing hunger and poverty that we see across communities.  Using more than half of the resources available to the government to service debt isn’t sustainable. Of course, we can debate what the loans were used for, but one thing is clear, the current burden is affecting the race to end poverty by 2030 while causing additional damage to communities who badly need government support.
With the pact now adopted, the real challenge lies in its implementation. Moving from global agreements to national, state, and local government actions will require aligning and retooling policies to accelerate implementation, and establishing mechanisms to monitor and hold the system accountable.  The Bola Ahmed Tinubu administration must use the pact to reset and re-energize its plans, priorities, strategies, and actions to meet and exceed the Sustainable Development Goals by the year 2030.

The Administration must understand that the implementation of the pact requires meaningfully engaging diverse stakeholders including civil society and local populations, persons with disabilities, children, women and girls, indigenous communities, and other groups at risk of being left behind.

Oyebisi Oluseyi is the Executive Director of the Nigeria Network of NGOs