The Federal Government has presented the 15-year Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) implementation report to the United Nations (UN).
The end-point report, which was presented by the Director/Ag. Secretary of Programme in the Office of the Senior Special Assistant to the President on MDGs, Ochapa Ogenyi, during the 70th Session of the United Nations General Assembly, New York, the United States detailed achievements of the Office in attaining the set goals.
It also included records of the remaining gaps and challenges that ought to be addressed.
The presentation of the Nigeria End-point Report was highly commended by International Stakeholders, global leaders and development partners.
Particularly, the African Union Commission led by the Chairperson, Dr. Nkosazana Dlamini Zuma praised Nigeria for blazing the trail in the preparation and submission of the country’s end-point report on the MDGs. The commendation was made during the side event on the presentation of the Common African Position on Post-2015 Development Agenda, which also had in attendance the President of Liberia and Chair of the High Level Committee on the Post 2015 Development Agenda, Ellen Sieleaf Johnson and other African leaders.
In the same vein, the Nigeria efforts in attaining the MDGs were also highly commended by the United Nations Millennium Campaign, UNMC, led by its global director, Mitchell Toomey while honouring Nigeria and particularly the Office of the Senior Special Assistant to the President on MDGs for mobilising about 2million respondents as contribution to the UN championed MY WORLD SURVEY.
The MDGs are eight goals targeted by member countries of the United Nations to end poverty, fight maternal and infant mortality and increase health care services among others.
In a statement by the Media Consultant to the office, Desmond Utomwen, yesterday in Abuja, he noted that the MDGs framework has been extremely valuable to focus attention on some of the most important challenges facing the people especially Nigerians.
The statement, which quoted Ogenyi reads:”this is the final MDGs Report, which documents Nigeria’s effort in the last 15 years in the implementation of the MDGs. The report thus details the pathways to the MDGs targets, the endpoint status of the indicators, the achievements, main policy drivers of successes, challenges and lessons learnt.”
The endpoint report revealed Federal Governments commitment to improve on the country’s progress towards the MDGs and better lives of the citizens.
His words: “I am pleased to report that Nigeria has recorded appreciable progress in the implementation of the MDGs particularly in the area of universal primary enrolment, gender parity in education, reduction in the spread of HIV/AIDs, maternal and child mortality as well as prevalence of hunger.
“The United Nations Food and Agriculture Organization honoured Nigeria for reducing by half the population of those who suffer hunger way ahead of the 2015 deadline. There has been no new case of polio infection recorded in Nigeria in the last one year. Also there have been significant reductions in maternal and child mortality.
“While we have seen some progress in these areas, critical challenges remain in others. This Endpoint Report provides up-to-date data and analysis on Nigeria’s experience in implementing the MDGs.”
The report, he noted, was a product of a highly participatory and broad consultative process which involved the federal government, State Governments, Ministries, Departments, Agencies, Civil Society Organizations and Development Partners. The process of preparing the report was led by the Office of the Senior Special Assistant to the President on MDGs and the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP).
“This MDG Endpoint Report will serve as an invaluable resource document as we transit to the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). I am confident that evidence contained in this report will serve as a useful guide in the implementation of the SDGs,” she added.
