Boss Mustapha, the secretary to the government of the federation, SGF, has described Sustainable Development Goals, SDGs, and Primary Health Care Programme, PHCP, as major important issues of needed for development of the country.

Mustapha in key note address at the second quarter 2018 edition of Forum of the Secretary to the Government of the Federation with secretaries to the state governments, held at Ibom Hotel & Golf Resort, Uyo, Akwa Ibom State on July 1-2, 2018, said government must intervene quickly on the two subjects immediately. To enlighten the gathering on the two subjects, he said that the senior special assistant to the president, SSAP, on SDGs and the executive secretary, NPHCDA, had been invited.

“We have invited experts on economic and development issues from non-governmental organisations, development partners and the Nigeria Economic Summit Group, NESG, to be part of this Forum as discussants and facilitators, in order to provide private sector perspectives and global views on how to improve on implementation.”

He recalled that in 2017 the UNDP collaborated with the Department of States and Local Government Affairs in the OSGF on the strengthening of SDGs in selected LGAs in Nigeria.  He said the project covered 24 local government areas in eight states as well as three area council in the federal capital territory, FCT.

Subsequently, he disclosed that two documents were produced from the exercise, namely, “the Mapping Survey Report and a Training Module was developed to assist policy makers to deliver on the critical objectives of SDGs at the grassroots level.”

In the same vein, the SGF recalled that “the last edition of this Forum held in Yola, Adamawa state capital, focused on the National Social Investment Programme, NSIP, and the Anchor Borrowers Programme, ABP. We discussed the opportunities and challenges of both interventions, commended government and made recommendations on how to further advance the gains. The communiqué from that meeting has been presented to the Federal Executive Council and the Governors Forum for consideration.”

Nevertheless, he said the two-day forum was intended to give the much-needed avenue for sharing ideas, comparing notes and peer assessing one another on the implementation of national and sub-national policies and programmes of government.

He admonished: “The national government is saddled with the responsibility of setting the agenda for governance and socio-economic development, but the states and local governments remain invaluable partners.” So, enjoined stakeholders to alive to their responsibilities for the sustainable development of the country…

July 3, 2018 @ 17:16 GMT/