By Bimbola Oyesola, Geneva, Swizerland, [email protected]
Nigeria has raised the alert that achieving the SDG 2030 in developing countries and least developed countries (LDCs) is at great risk without the support of international agencies.
Addressing the plenary of the 110th International Labour Conference (ILC), Minister of Labour and Employment, Senator Chris Ngige, who was represented by the permanent secretary of the ministry, Kachollom Daju, said, with the state of growing gap of inequality in the world, Nigeria considers that the achievement of the SDGs by 2030 is at great risk.
“If the goal of ‘not leaving any one behind’ is ever to be realised, urgent effort, support and contribution will be required by all, in a renewed commitment to multilateralism and international cooperation,” the minister said.
Noting that the report of the director-general on the LDCs – crisis, structural transformation and the future of work is very appropriate for debate in view of the multiple implication of current global challenges, Ngige said just as in previous reports, the focus on LDCs is of concern to all as poverty anywhere constitutes a danger to prosperity everywhere.
He stated that the ripple effects of the deteriorating situation in the 45 LDCs was capable of eroding the gains of the developing and developed economies. “Our response should go beyond statistics and rhetoric to plans which will stimulate economic activities to generate decent jobs for the teeming unemployed youth who yearn for dignified life,” he said.
He lamented that the ambitious centenary declaration of 2019 and the 2021 Global Call to Action for a human-centred recovery from the COVID-19 crisis have no direct link to the LDCs.
According to him, if LDCs are to proceed on the legitimate path of structural transformation, it would involve reengineering their productive capacity, recalibrating their institutional arrangement and reviewing their governance structure to transit to the league of developing countries.
“It will require increasing support and projects by international communities and multinational institutions (ILO inclusive) to assist the LDCs in the six key focus areas listed in para 25 of the report in addition adhering to the principles of country ownership emphasised in the Doha Programme of Action to transition,” he stated.
Reiterating call for the need to ensure that COVID-19 vaccines reach the remotest part of the world by granting patent rights for production of vaccines to regions, Ngige said Nigeria has focused on several intervention programmes on social assistance and social protection to ensure the non-erosion of the pre-COVID-19 gains on Social Protection Floors.
He said, “Nigeria has over the years upheld the four pillars of the Decent Work Agenda as well as the Strategic Objectives of the ILO by implementing different transformative Agenda and Visions to structurally transform and improve its economic productive capacities and outputs.
“This ultimately, is a bit to move the country on the path of sustainable development and economic growth. Currently the Economic Recovery and Growth Plan (EGRP) of 2017-2020 is being rolled into National Development Plan 2021-2025 and it takes into cognisance achievements from preceding activities, programmes and projects with well defines key performance indicators as guide.
“We have entrepreneurial programmes and projects in the agricultural sector through various loan schemes that have created volumes of decent jobs. These were to cushion the effect of the emerging global challenges listed in the DG’s report.”
The Permanent Secretary while fielding questions from journalists after the address equally said federal government would be concentrating more on social protection moreso in the informal economy.
“We are doing a lot of coverage presently in response to the COVID-19 effect, but there would be more concentration on the informal economy as there is need to ensure that all citizens have social protection,” she said.