Sustainable
Development Goals: Nigeria’s Path to Implementation
ELIZABETH
HAUB SCHOOL OF LAW AT PACE UNIVERSITY
White
Plains
May,
2017
List of Abbreviations
CGS – Conditional Grant Scheme
DRG – Debt Relief Gains
GDP – Gross Domestic Product
ICT – Information and Communication Technology
M&E - Monitoring and Evaluation
MDA – Ministries, Departments and Agencies
MDG – Millennium Development Goal
NBS – National Bureau of Statistics
NEEDS – National Economic Empowerment and Development
Strategy
NMIS – Nigeria MDG Information System
NPC – National Planning Commission
NV 20:2020 – Nigeria Vision 20:2020
OSSAP – MDGs - Office of the Senior Special Assistant
to the President on MDGs
OSSAP – SDGs - Office of the Senior Special Assistant
to the President on SDGs
DTWG – Donor Technical Working Group
PCAM-SDGs – Presidential Committee on the Assessment
and Monitoring of the SDGs
SDG – Sustainable Development Goal
UK-DFID – United Kingdom Department for International
Development
UN – United Nations
UNDP – United Nations Development Programme
UNESCO – United Nations Educational, Scientific and
Cultural Organization
UNGA – United Nations General Assembly
USAID – United States Agency for International Development
USD – United States Dollar
WHO – World Health Organization
Introduction
Nigeria’s Path to the
Implementation of the Sustainable Development Goals
The
world came together in New York in September 2015 under the platform of the
United Nations General Assembly (UNGA) to take steps to place the world on the
path to achieve sustainable development and prevent long term existential
threats to mankind. The UNGA, through a deliberative process involving one
hundred and ninety-three member states, as well as global civil society,
adopted Transforming our World: the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development. The
Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) are at the core of this agenda.[1] The
underlying goal of the SDGs is the pursuit of “sustainable development.” Sustainable
development, “must meet the needs of the present without compromising the
ability of future generations to meet their own needs.”[2] Sustainability
has been agreed to be focused on the “three E’s” - economy, ecology, and equity.[3] The
MDGs focused on addressing poverty in many dimensions – income poverty, hunger,
disease, lack of adequate shelter, and social exclusion, while promoting
environmental sustainability, gender equality, and education.[4]
The SDGs cut across every aspect of development, with an overarching goal of
delivering quality development in a sustainable manner for all peoples. They
are a set of seventeen aspirational "Global Goals" with one hundred and sixty-nine targets to achieve them. The
goals are illustrated below.
Figure 10: Source:
European Environmental Bureau.
The
SDGs are effective from January 1, 2016 through 2030. Nigeria is among the one
hundred and ninety-three countries that adopted the SDGs. This paper analyses
the measures taken by Nigeria to achieve the MDGs, the challenges encountered
and the country’s plan for SDGs implementation.
Overview of Nigeria’s MDGs Implementation– Issues and Challenges
Overview of Nigeria’s MDGs Implementation– Issues and Challenges
The
MDGs presented an important opportunity to accelerate development in critical
areas and sectors for Nigeria. Programs were created to vigorously pursue the
implementation of the MDGs goals. Nigeria launched the National Economic
Empowerment Development Strategy (NEEDS), 7-Point Agenda, Vision 20:2020 and
other programs targeted at achieving the MDGs. The NEEDS outlines policies and
strategies designed to promote economic growth, and the Seven-Point Agenda for
Food Security and Poverty Alleviation complemented and enhanced the national
strategy. The Office of the Senior Special Assistant to the President on MDGs (OSSAP-MDGs)
was established in 2005 to oversee MDG implementation.[5] Among
other things, the OSSAP-MDGs was mandated to ensure effective utilization of
the one billion dollars annual funding from the Debt Relief Gains (DRG) for MDGs
related projects. The DRG was part of the debt relief deal Nigeria made with
the Paris Club of Creditors in September 2005.[6]
One of the terms of the deal was Nigeria’s commitment to utilize the relief
funds “on pro-poor projects and programs in support of a national effort
towards the achievement of the MDGs.”[7]
The OSSAP-MDGs directed the execution of relevant MDGs projects by the agencies
and departments of the Federal Government. Projects were focused on health,
education, agriculture, roads, energy, water and sanitation, women affairs,
youth, housing, and environment. Some of the projects executed in these sectors
are the provision of microcredit facilities, teachers and federal civil
servants training, instituting the National Gender Policy,
construction/rehabilitation of primary health centres, deployment of midwives,
purchase and distribution of anti-malaria drugs, polio eradication initiative
and immunization of children, construction of roads and drainage works, and
boreholes etc.[8]
The OSSAP-MDGs tracked spending, project execution and supervision to ensure
quality and quantity delivery and to evaluate the overall impact of the projects
in achieving set targets and goals.
A
Presidential Committee on the MDGs (PCAM-MDGs) was also established in 2005, as
well as two National Assembly Committees on the MDGs (one each for the Senate
and the House of Representatives). The former functioned as a convening and an
accountability institution with diverse membership that cut across ministries,
departments and agencies (MDAs), states, civil society organizations, and the
private sector; while the latter was used to promote legislative understanding,
ownership and supervision of MDGs-related activities by the federal legislature.[9]
Another
important structure used for the execution of the MDGs was the Conditional
Grant Scheme (CGS). Through the CGS program, the federal government co-funded
MDG-targeted projects in partnership with state and local governments. The CGS
leveraged the oversight ability and coordinating powers of the federal
government and the local knowledge of state and local governments to execute and
deliver meaningful projects.
A
review of final report issued by the Nigerian government on the implementation
of the MDGs, Nigeria 2015 Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) End-point Report
(Final Report), showed that appreciable progress was made in the pursuit of the
MDGs agenda but many of the targets and goals were not met. For instance,
regarding the goal of eradicating extreme poverty and hunger, poverty
prevalence declined from sixty-five percent in 1990 to forty-five percent in
2010, although the targeted twenty-one percent was not achieved.[10]
The World Bank poverty indices for 2012/2013 showed a further decline to thirty-three
percent.[11]
Economic growth, particularly in agriculture, has reasonably reduced the
proportion of underweight children under five years of age from thirty-six
percent in 1990 to twenty-six percent in 2014.[12]
In terms of education and literacy, Nigeria achieved a literacy rate of eighty percent in 2008 but experienced a
massive decline (sixty-six percent in 2014) due to the displacement caused by
the Islamist terror group, Boko Haram.[13]
Significant progress was also recorded in the provision of access to safe
drinking, as the Final Report indicated an achievement of sixty-nine percent end-point
in 2015 from forty percent 1990 baseline. Little or no progress was towards
creating access to clean sanitary facilities. Overall, the MDGs targets were
mostly not achieved due to some challenges encountered in the implementation
process. Some of these are lack of capacity, inadequate finance, data
deficiency, and misappropriation of funds.[14]
Other challenges reported are absence of evaluation metrics, security problems
that result from Boko Haram insurgency in the North-East of Nigeria, absence of
a functional national health insurance scheme, and incessant workers’ industrial
action in Nigeria. There were also challenges in the area of institutional framework,
notably the lack of a comprehensive legal or policy framework. There was no
comprehensive policy outline that clearly indicated the roles of every
stakeholder and the limit of their responsibilities. This gave rise to two
issues– overlap among the relevant stakeholders and lack of coherence in the
execution of the MDGs. Proposals have been made to resolve these issues as
Nigeria moves towards the integration and implementation of the SDGs.
Transition to the SDGs, Institutional Structures and Necessary
Mechanisms for Implementation
In
October 2015, the Nigerian government released a policy document, Nigeria’s
Road to SDGs: Country Transition Strategy (“Transition Strategy”), which
offered a high level review of the country’s performance under the MDGs and
discussed steps that will be taken to promptly correct observed errors, while
ensuring the timely and successful integration and implementation of the SDGs
into national policies, to guarantee on-the-ground results. Nigeria government proposed
to retain the existing institutional structures, with keen commitment to
strengthen observed areas of weaknesses.
At
the federal level, the overall coordinating office of the OSSAP-MDGs was transitioned
to the Office of the Senior Special Assistant to the President on Sustainable
Development Goals (OSSAP-SDGs), with the following mandates:
a. Provide leadership and guidance on the
Sustainable Development Goals;
b. Coordinate and integrate the SDGs into
Nigeria’s national development plans and priorities, and develop an actionable
framework for implementation at the national, state & local government
levels; and
c. Serve as the secretariat to the PCAM-SDGs.[15]
To
strengthen this framework, the Nigerian government proposes to harmonise and push
for greater coherence between the OSSAP-SDGs and the National Planning
Commission (NPC). The NPC was created to advise the president on national
polices, create national priorities and goals among other things.[16] The
goal is to ensure that both institutions work together to ensure the
integration of the SDGs into national development plans, spelling out the
duties of all relevant stakeholders towards the achievement of the SDGs.[17]
The Transition Strategy also calls for a stronger and permanent
intergovernmental collaboration mechanism between the various levels of
government. This collaboration will improve coordination and monitoring of actions
taken at all levels of the SDGs implementation process. A central clearing
house system for proper monitoring and evaluation is also proposed. This will
ensure proper data gathering, evaluation and storage.
Another
important step that could be taken to ensure a successful implementation of the
SDGs is to put in place an overarching policy
framework, that will review existing developmental plans and identify gaps
and provide the basis for change. It is also important to review the SDGs at
the national level and develop nationally-relevant targets, matching ambition
and commitments with resources and capacities. This policy will also ensure
political stability and continuity of action despite change in administration. The
adoption of this policy can assist in establishing expenditure floors and create
legislature-backed incentives for the implementation of the SDGs. Expenditure
floors could be in the form of a percentage of the annual budgets of all levels
of government, channelled towards the execution of the SDGs. It has to be noted
that the SDG goals reflect what should be the ordinary goals of all countries,
especially developing countries. Dedicating a percentage of government’s funds
to its implementation only accelerates the development process. Past efforts,
such as, the twenty-three percent UNESCO education funding, the Abuja
Declaration (targeting fifteen percent expenditure on healthcare), and the ten
percent agricultural goal in the Maputo Declaration were not achieved.[18]
Their failure were attributed to the lack of legislative sanction, being only
actionable by voluntary executive directive.
The
SDGs contain goals that require extensive
collaborations for a successful implementation. Some of the SDGs have
international or regional dimensions, requiring supranational or regional
collaboration for a successful outcome. Nigeria in the past collaborated with
local, regional and international governments and entities for the execution of
the MDGs.[19] Specifically, there were partnership formed
with UK-DFID, UNDP/UNMC, and Water Aid, among others. An overarching forum,
Donor Technical Working Group was created to design appropriate interventions
that deliver results against MDG targets. The forum also advised on the
appropriate technical measures by which performance was monitored and measured.[20] As
the country transitions into the SDGs, it is important to expand the membership
of this forum to accommodate other important developmental partners of the country,
including but not limited to the World Bank, European Union, African
Development Bank (AfDB), and USAID. The need to also include the organized
private sector was also noted in
the Transition Strategy. These partners can offer both tangible and financial
assistance for programs implementation.
Another important aspect of the implementation of the
SDGs is data gathering and evaluation.
Unlike many developed countries, Africa in general and Nigeria in particular
lacks the capacity and technology necessary to implement a systematic data
gathering and evaluation mechanism. The problem is not exclusive to the SDGs
program, but a country-wide issue. Without a proper mechanism for data
collection and analysis, the progress or lack thereof in the implementation of
the SDGs will be left to estimation and guesswork. The extent of progress made
in Nigeria towards achieving the MDGs has been a subject of debate, because there
were no generally acceptable data on the program.[21] As part of efforts to
develop a database for monitoring and evaluation of the implementation process,
especially with regards to the Conditional Grant Scheme, the OSSAP-MDGs partnered
with the Sustainable Engineering Lab to undertake a rigorous, geo-referenced
baseline facility inventory across Nigeria spanning from 2009 to 2011.[22]
The data collected informed local, state, and federal interventions aimed at
closing data gaps. The end result was the Nigeria MDG Information System (NMIS),
a comprehensive and detailed inventory that houses all of the data collected. Late
in the implementation period, to supplement the NMIS, the National Bureau of Statistics (NBS) launched the
MDGs Performance Tracking Survey in 2014.[23] The survey was designed
to generate specific indicators to monitor progress of the MDGs across the
goals.[24]
These findings were to help policy makers identify gaps and challenges to the attainment
of the MDGs. Despite the little success recorded in this area during the MDGs
implementation, it is important to improve data collection, analysis and access
for a successful SDGs implementation. Nigeria can adopt international best
practices in this regard and implement a central clearing system for data
collection, evaluation and information sharing. Existing fragmented data hubs
have to be linked for harmony and completeness. When it comes to data,
underutilization is as bad as lack of data. There were indications that
relevant stakeholders did not have access to available data for planning and
execution of projects during the MDGs era. The OSSAP-SDGs should take steps to
enlighten relevant stakeholders about the available data and what use they can
be applied to.
Additionally,
finance is an issue that is at the
bedrock of the implementation of the SDGs. As a developing country of about 180
million people, the funding required to achieve the seventeen goals of SDGs is
enormous. Nigeria needs between fifty-eight billion dollars and ninety-six
billion dollars per annum to execute the SDGs.[25] Nigeria’s
total budget in 2015 was twenty-two billion dollars. If public finance is
solely relied upon for SDGs implementation, Nigeria already faces a financing
gap of between thirty-six billion dollars and seventy-four billion dollars annually.[26] The
DRG was fundamental to the pursuit of the MDGs, but it was inadequate.[27] Nigeria
must strive to dedicate a percentage of its annual budget to the implementation
of the SDGs. Existing partnerships, local and international must also be
explored for SDGs financing. Funds such as the Green Climate Fund under the
Paris Agreement on Climate Change are potential sources. Given the considerable
increase in required investment for the SDGs in Nigeria, policy-makers must
develop strategies to tap into all potential sources of financing – public,
private, international, and domestic. The issue of finance is also adversely
impacted by Nigeria’s declining revenue earning, due particularly to global collapse
in oil prices, affecting both federal and state governments’ ability to execute
their planned capital and recurrent expenditure.[28]
Closely
related to finance is necessary capacity
and technology. A successful implementation of the SDGs will require strong
human capacity building and technology. Technology and human resources enable
countries to improve their productivity and use limited resources in a
sustainable manner. Environmental sustainability is at the core of the SDGs,
investments in modern technologies will be required to reduce activities that
are not eco-friendly. Nigeria, like many developing countries will depend on
technology transfers from developed countries who are technologically advanced.
Under the United Nations, there are frameworks put in place to encourage the
transfer of capacity and technologies from developed countries to developing
countries. One of such frameworks is the Paris Agreement on Climate Change. The
potentials of these structures must be fully utilized.
Recommendation
This
paper attempted to review the implementation of the MDGs in Nigeria with
particular attention given to the challenges encountered during the process.
Proposed steps for the integration of the SDGs into national policies and plans
for a successful implementation were also discussed. There was a review of the
institutional and coordination frameworks adopted for the implementation of the
MDGs and those proposed for the SDGs, with recommended improvements. The paper
also discussed potential hurdles that must be surpassed if the 2030 goals are
to be achieved.
In
summary, there is need to create an overarching and comprehensive legal regime
for the implementation of the SDGs. This will clearly define institutional
frameworks, modus operandi, guarantee continuity, and enjoy legal support. In
this way, cohesion and harmony will also be achieved. Progress can only be made
through harmonized strategic action, centrally coordinated.
Secondly,
there is need to improve the data gathering and evaluation mechanisms currently
in place. Massive improvements in Nigeria’s statistical capacity is needed.
Similarly, it is necessary to make real interventions to address inadequacies
in human and technical capacity. The importance of this cannot be overstated.
Every other layer of the implementation process rests on this foundation.
Thirdly,
finance is critical for a successful outcome at the expiration of the
implementation period – 2030. Diverse avenues for programs funding must be
explored and available funds must be strictly applied according to strategic
plans. Misappropriation of funds must be discouraged and prevented, and
punished were it is proven to have occurred.
Fourthly,
the security concerns that displaced about two million people in the North-East
of Nigeria have to be addressed.[29]
No meaningful development can be made in an unstable atmosphere.
Finally,
the political-will to improve the overall economy of the country, ensure
sustainable use of resources and lift citizens out of the debasing captivities
of poverty will be the foundation of all efforts. Government at all levels must
be willing to successfully implement the SDGs and achieve the enumerated goals.
As stated in the Transition Strategy, no Nigerian should be left behind.
[1] Sustainable Development Goals, Wikipedia, https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sustainable_Development_Goals ( Last
visited March
12, 2017).
[2] Sustainable Development, International Institute for Sustainable
Development, http://www.iisd.org/topic/sustainable-development, (Last
visited March
12, 2017).
[3] In commercial circles, this is
referred to as the “Three P’s” of sustainability, representing, people, profit
and plant. A corporation that intends to remain viable in the future, must pay
attention to these three key components of the sustainability.
[4] Millennium Project, Goals, targets
and indicators, http://www.unmillenniumproject.org/goals/gti.htm#goal1 (Last visited April 22, 2017).
[5] Otive Igbuzor, Overview of Implementation of the MDGs in
Nigeria: Challenges and Lessons, African Centre for Leadership, Strategy
& Development (Centre LSD) 9 (Oct., 12-13th 2011), https://pdfs.semanticscholar.org/cb1a/6ad3a5888bb9eb99d22cb07f6f887f5193e3.pdf.
[6] MDGs Conditional Grants Scheme Implementation
Manual (Revised), available at http://www.sparc-nigeria.com/RC/files/5.1.6_MDGs_CGS_Implementation_Manual_Revised.pdf (Last viewed April 12, 2017).
[7] Id.
[8] Otive Igbuzor, Overview of Implementation of the MDGs in
Nigeria: Challenges and Lessons, African Centre for Leadership, Strategy
& Development (Centre LSD) 9 (Oct., 12-13th 2011), https://pdfs.semanticscholar.org/cb1a/6ad3a5888bb9eb99d22cb07f6f887f5193e3.pdf.
[9] Nigeria’s Road to SDGs: Country
Transition Strategy 8 (Oct. 2015), http://www.ng.undp.org/content/dam/nigeria/docs/IclusiveGrwth/Nigeria%20transition%20strategy%20to%20SDGs.pdf. (Last viewed April 11, 2017).
[10] Nigeria 2015 Millennium
Development Goals (MDGs) End-point Report 3 (2015), http://www.undp.org/content/dam/undp/library/MDG/english/MDG%20Country%20Reports/Nigeria/Nigeria_MDGs_Abridged_Sept30.pdf?download (Last viewed April 12, 2017).
[11] Id. at 4.
[12] Id.
[13] Id.at 5.
[14] Otive Igbuzor, Overview of Implementation of the MDGs in Nigeria: Challenges and
Lessons, African Centre for Leadership, Strategy & Development (Centre
LSD) 9 (Oct., 12-13th 2011), https://pdfs.semanticscholar.org/cb1a/6ad3a5888bb9eb99d22cb07f6f887f5193e3.pdf.
[15] Mandates
of the Office of the Senior Special Assistant to the President on Sustainable
Development Goals (OSSAP-SDGs), http://sdgs.gov.ng/about-sdgs/our-mandate/
(Last visited May 8, 2017).
[16] The
Ministry of Budget and National Planning, About
Us, http://www.nationalplanning.gov.ng/index.php/about-us
(Last viewed May 5, 2017).
[17] Nigeria’s Road to SDGs: Country
Transition Strategy 9 (Oct. 2015), http://www.ng.undp.org/content/dam/nigeria/docs/IclusiveGrwth/Nigeria%20transition%20strategy%20to%20SDGs.pdf (Last viewed April 11, 2017).
[18] Id. at 14.
[19] Id. at 17.
[20] Id. at 18.
[21]
Obinna Ositadimma Oleribe & Simon David Taylor-Robinson, Before Sustainable Development Goals (SDG):
why Nigeria failed to achieve the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs), Pan
Afr. Med. J. 2016; 24: 156, https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC5072827/citedby
(Last viewed May 6, 2017).
[22] The Nigeria MDG Information System Allows
You to See the Bigger Picture, Sustainable Engineering Lab., http://qsel.columbia.edu/assets/uploads/blog/2014/04/NMIS.pdf
(Last visited May 8, 2017).
[23] United Nations Development
Programme, Nigeria MDGS Survey Report
2015 (March 26, 2015), http://www.ng.undp.org/content/nigeria/en/home/library/mdg/NigeriaMDGsSurveyReport2015.html (Last visited May 6, 2017).
[24] Id.
[25]
Eberechukwu Uneze, Adedeji Adeniran & Uzor Ezechukwu, Transiting from Plan to Implementation Challenges and Opportunities
Ahead for Sustainable Development Goals in Nigeria, Southern Voice on
Post-MDG International Development Goals 9 (April 2016), http://southernvoice.org/wp-content/uploads/2016/04/SV-OP-30.pdf.
[27] Nigeria 2015 Millennium Development
Goals (MDGs) End-point Report 12 (2015), http://www.undp.org/content/dam/undp/library/MDG/english/MDG%20Country%20Reports/Nigeria/Nigeria_MDGs_Abridged_Sept30.pdf?download (Last viewed April 12, 2017).
[28] Obinna
Chima, Falling Oil Prices Threaten
Nigeria’s Earnings, Reserves Accretion, Thisday (March 13, 2017), https://www.thisdaylive.com/index.php/2017/03/13/falling-oil-prices-threaten-nigerias-earnings-reserves-accretion.
[29] Nigeria IDP Figures Analysis, Internal
Displacement Monitoring Centre (IDMC), http://www.internal-displacement.org/sub-saharan-africa/nigeria/figures-analysis
(Last visited May 8, 2017).
