From Juliana Taiwo-Obalonye, New York
Governor Okezie Ikpeazu of Abia has spoken on how states would benefit from the newly launched report of Nigeria Integrated National Financing Framework Report on Sustainable Development (INFF).
Ikpeazu, while fielding questions newsmen on Friday in New York while reacting to NIFF report launched by President Muhammadu Buhari on the sidelines of the 77th United Nations General Assembly, he said states would be able mobilise support for the implementation of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).
Through INFF strategy, countries take forward financing reforms to mobilise and align public and private financing with their national sustainable development priorities.
According to Ikpeazu, INFF is a robust integrated framework that every state should use to mobilise support for the implementation of the SDGs.
“Funding education, for instance, is so critical that no government can do it alone, because it changes and there’s a need to align outcomes from the laboratories in the various tertiary institutes with the industry.
“That is the only way we can complete the circle. So that we are bringing innovative knowledge of the academia, marketing it to solve specific problems, funding can come back to the university for research and all of that.
“That is part of what you need to do to solve the problem going forward.’’
Ikpeazu said Nigeria had done the best by launching the document, noting that is the way to go because financing SDGs is challenging.
He said financing SDGs across the globe was partly challenged by issues of climate change, disruptions in supply chains, conflicts and diseases.
“The world should collaborate on finding innovative ways to finance SDGs for the benefit of the teeming population and is particularly important for Nigeria.
“It is important for Nigeria because we are a diverse country with so many challenges, we think that this is time for sub national governments to become a little more proactive,’’ the governor said.
The said the sub national governments could adopt the framework in terms of policy to match the zeal of Mr President to implement the SDGs.
He said that they could do so to make sure that at least they draw attention of the partners and integrate INFF with the private sector impetus with government muscle, capitalising it to make sure that we achieve the SDGs.
“So, it’s not a one solution fits all, every sub national government with challenges should look at the dynamics of environment and see how best you can adopt same.
“That is in fact my takeaway from this event.
“It’s interesting that you say that because if you look at the goals – education, poverty and all of that and many really thinks that states are not doing to collaborate to achieve some of these goals,’’ the governor said.
The Minister of State Petroleum, Timiprey Sylva, on his part said it would help in measuring achievements of SDGs when mainstreamed.
He said: “Well, frankly the SDGs are very integral to our national development and growth and that’s why we have to mainstream it at the end of every year, we should be able to measure how each ministry has contributed to the achievement of the SDGs. Because frankly, that is really what development is about, because if we are not able to achieve the SDGs as a nation, then it will impact the general growth of our nation. So, right now, what we have been trying to do is to ensure that the SDGs are mainstreamed. So, really, whatever is happening in the government, will be geared towards advancing the achievement of the SDGs.”
Minister of State Budget and National Planning, Clement Agba, said this is the first time in Nigeria’s history was as administration planning, costing and looking at how to fund the plan.
He said: “In all of the plans that have been mentioned and all of the agenda, this is the very first time we’re doing costing and also looking at how to finance, rather than just putting a plan in place, without necessarily thinking about where the money will come from and how it would come in.
“So this integrated financing for SDG is there. We also have costing and financing for the National Development Plan of which this is part of, we have also launched the integrated infrastructure master plan, we’ve also looked at the planning, and then the funding for that, that shows a deficit of $2.3 trillion in 23 years.
“The important thing is that all of these frameworks are put in place and financing arrangement, so that whoever comes in as president will have something to work with, rather than just starting afresh.
The Minister of Labour and Employment, Chris Ngige, noted that the problem in the education sector was financing, hence the need for articulated framework for it to benefit from proper funding.
“Well, the problem with the Nigerian education is education financing, it is funds. Whether you’re talking about condition of service for lecturers, or you’re talking about infrastructure development, classrooms, library, laboratory, equipments for teaching it is funding. So, we need to have an articulated framework for our educational sector to benefit from proper funding.”
Earlier in her remarks, the Senior Special Assistant to the President on SDGs, Adejoke Orelope-Adefulire said the UN had particularly praised the Nigerian government for the implementation of the action plans of Nigeria, putting Nigeria ahead of many countries.
She added that in August, Nigeria became the “first country in the Global South to have successfully completed a Country-led Independent Evaluation of SDG-3 on ‘quality health and well-being for all’ and SDG-4 on ‘qualitative and inclusive education and lifelong learning for all.’”
She also added that her office collaborated with the National Bureau of Statistics to track progress on the 230 Key Performance Indicators on annual basis.
She explained that Nigeria’s strategic approach to the implementation of the SDGs are at two different levels – National and Sub-national.
“At the National level, we work closely with the Federal Ministries, Departments, and Agencies (MDAs) to integrate the SDGs into their sectoral policies and plans. At the Sub-national level, we are working closely with the 36 states and the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) to mainstream the SDGs into their medium and long-term development policies and plans. To date, 16 states are supported to develop SDG-Based Development Plans. This is our approach to Mainstreaming, Acceleration and Policy Support (MAPS) for the SDGs.”
Orelope-Adefulire attributed the successes to the unflinching support of President Buhari.
She stated her office was also working with some state governors to “integrate Sustainable Development Goals into their policies, programmes and budgets.”
She expressed the hope that before the end of the current administration all the states would be covered.
In his remark, Axel Maisonneuve, Head/Sustainable Development, Minister Counsellor, Delegation of the European Union (EU) to the UN, said EU had also support the mobilisation of capital for an inclusive and sustainable transition, which is at the heart of an INFF, in several ways.
“For instance, we know that whilst public finance of course has a key role to play, it will not be sufficient to bridge the SDG financing gap, and private finance needs to be mobilised as well.
“In the EU, we believe in fact that sustainable finance is critical to enable private financial flows being channelled towards sustainable investments.
“The EU’s Green Deal and the Global Gateway strategies are some of the key examples of the EU efforts in this direction. Indeed, sustainable finance is part and parcel of an INFF,’’ he said.
According to him, private finance is very much part of Nigeria’s Integrated National Financing Framework.
Maisonneuve said the INFF was designed to help the Nigerian government explore innovative financing options linking government with private sector and development partners to increase public revenue and private investments.
“Let me take this opportunity to praise Nigeria for the efforts undertaken toward the achievement of the 2030 agenda and the SDGs and for the key milestone that you have achieved.
“In September 2019, 16 countries committed to pioneer the development and implementation of INFFs, and Nigeria was among them.
“Now, Nigeria has successfully designed its INFF Strategy, and is offering a leading example for INFF progress toward a more systematic, holistic approach to achieve sustainable development objectives,” he said.