Communiqué Issued at the end of the South-West Zone Stakeholders Expanded Meeting on Strategy of Engagement with the Public and Private Sectors on the SDGs’ Implementation Process and Progress Monitoring, Organized by the Civil Society Coalition on Sustainable Development (CSCSD) Held at Maria Ebun Foundation Building, CAFSO-WRAG for Development Secretariat, New Ife Road, Ibadan Nigeria on Friday 17th March 2017
Introduction
Civil Society Coalition on Sustainable Development (CSCSD) is a coalition of over 190 registered civil society and nongovernmental organizations committed to citizens’ empowerment, human rights protection, development and peace in Nigeria. CSCSD is founded on the three elements of development – society, economy and environment – and believes in the fulcrum of SDGs including dignity, people, planet, partnership, justice and prosperity.
Twenty eight representatives of Civil Society Organizations across Osun, Oyo, Ogun, Ondo, Ekiti, Lagos and Kwara States attended the Southwest zone expanded strategic meeting. The overall objective of the meeting was to discuss ways to operationalize the strategy and localize the sustainable development goals (SDGs) for the zone.
Nigeria’s development roadmap and strategies have typically been championed by the government and the elite, with characteristic exclusion of citizens, civil societies and the academia. An assessment of the country’s performance under the UN Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) during 2001 and 2015 opened up a new shift towards the inclusion and participation of all stakeholders in the new global goals, with seventeen (17) Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). A hope of leaving no one behind is an important factor of these agenda, yet, this can only be achieved through mobilization for actions, hence, the main focus of the stakeholder expanded meeting to brainstorm and work out strategies of engagement with public and private sectors on the implementation and progress monitoring of the SDGs in Nigeria.
Key observations and issues:
- MDGs were developed, signed and implemented with an exclusive mode of operation and the reasons for its low level of achievement included a lack of involvement of sectors other than the government
- Data gaps, the insufficient use of data, and differences in indicator values between local, national and international sources hampered the MDG process.
- Globally civil society is being recognized as a critical component of the development process.
- The Government is the number one actor responsible for the implementation of the SDGs, but lack of synergy of other actors for implementation is a cause of concern.
- The SDGs have been present for almost 2 years and there is no funding allocated for the process; localization for implementation has become essential.
- The focus of development needs to address economic and environmental dimensions.
- Evidence from the Department for International Development commissioned survey on SDGS for Southwest revealed very low awareness level across sectors and actors
- Development of high level communication strategies to convey the key messages effectively are required.
- Localized actions for the implementation of the SDGs is key to the achievement of the global Agenda 2030.
- Decision makers need to be well acquainted with the SDGs for expected results.
In view of the foregoing, the meeting made the following recommendations:
Government
- There is need to define their specific responsibilities and include other actors (Private sector, CSO) that can add value to SDG implementation processes to form good synergy and for accountability.
- It is necessary to facilitate the process to bring about multi-stakeholder’s partnership for robust consultation with the civil society, the private sector, the academia, the media and people to form new ideas.
- Also necessary is an enabling political environment, via pertinent supportive policies to drive the development agenda
- Prioritizing budgetary allocations and strategies to facilitate attainment of the SDGs is paramount.
- Imperative is the need for inclusive participation of all and effective collaboration towards achieving success on the SDGs.
- Government needs to harmonize efforts at different levels to avoid duplication of efforts and wasted resources, and measure progress with respect to activities and indicators.
- It is essential to analyze and define roles and functions of the local government, ministries, departments, and agencies in working towards the SDGs targets .
- Paramount is the setting up of CSOs SDGs Advisory Consultative Group in view of the role of the CSOs in contributing to the attainment of SDGs in Nigeria.
Civil Society Organizations (CSOs)
- Civil Society is poised for effective and strategic communication with innovative advocacy approaches to policy makers.
- While data systems do not necessarily need to be scientific, there should be a shift to be dynamic and make it citizen based.
- CSOs’ data collection systems should be low-cost and reliable, and they should ultimately ensure that data are accurate, timely and immediately available to all key stakeholders, i.e. policymakers, academia, the public and other CSOs
- Civil Society is ready to identify capacity gaps of relevant stakeholders and create innovative ways of low cost training to strengthen the gaps.
- Using collaborative and synergistic method, we are committed to having concrete mechanisms, tools, innovations, platforms and processes to effectively translate the development agenda into results at the local level.
- Supporting the government and the UN, civil society is set at appropriately and adequately monitoring and tracking progress on the implementation of the SDGs
- Civil Society calls on citizens in holding the government accountable to their promise of adequate implementation of the SDGs.
- CSOs strive for strategic thinking and self-sustaining activities due to potential donor fatigue but welcome unconditional support from development partners.
- Paramount is the need for a central communication platform, with potentially a newsletter for sharing information on activities related to the implementation of the SDGs.
- CSOs are ready for coordinated advocacy visits to the newly constituted SDGs Private Sector Advisory Group and similar initiatives for the purpose of attaining SDGs by 2030.
Private Sector
- The Private Sector needs to collaborate with government, CSOs and other non-state actors to inform policies to shape the SDG implementation.
- It is necessary the newly constituted SDGs Private Sector Advisory Group by the Federal Government to put forward integrated opinions to the government to shape good economic policies and growth.
- Promoting the implementation of the SDGs rests with the public-private partnerships using their business concerns to positively impact on the environment where they operate.
Media
- Imperative is the need to collaborate and partner with CSOs, government and the private sector to bring about good sensitization and awareness for citizens on the SDGs.
- It behoves on the media to provide a voice to the voiceless, marginalized and vulnerable groups through empowerment and increased access to information through the traditional and social media.
- The global media should be humanity driven rather than power driven in the interest of the people, planet and environemnt.
Conclusion
Partnership is key to successful achievement of the SDGs. Sustainability involves responsibility and accountability. Pro-citizen and development actors should be given the chance to be part of the SDGs planning process at the national level, particularly because change starts from the grassroots and the third sector closest to the grassroots. Formation of clusters around the thematic areas of the SDGs is needed to strategize on engagement of other sectors in policy discussions to influence action at all levels. Conducting advocacy visit to the leadership of the private sector advisory group is paramount to identifying harmonious solutions for positive impact.
By the under-listed CSOs:
- OKO PIUS CLIMATE & SUSTAINABLE DEV NETWORK (CSDEVNET)
- SAHEED O. ADEBISI SDSN-NIGERIA
- PASTOR PETER AKOSILE PAAM NGO
- VICTOR NOSEGBE INNERCITY MISSION FOR CHILDREN
- MOHAMMED SHARAFIDIN CENTRE FOR YOUTH INITIATIVE ON SELF EDUCATION
- SALAU ADEKUNLE YOUTH ADVOCACY HEALTH FOUNDATION
- OLAITAN OLUMIODE JUSTICE DEVELOPMENT AND PEACE
- A IRETI JUSTICE DEVELOPMENT AND PEACE COMMISSION.
- BOLA FASUYI STAR RUBY HEALTH INITIATIVE FOR HUMAN DEVELOPMENT
- AKINPELU TAYO YOUTH FUTURE SAVERS INTIATIVE
- MOJISOLA AKINSANYA WOMEN FOR PEACE & GENDER EQUALITY INITIATIVE
- ABIMBOLA JUNAID ARISE NIGERIA WOMEN FOUNDATION
- PASTOR (MRS) E.Y ODEDERE GENDER EQUALITY AND THE GIRL CHILD DEVPT FOUNDATION
- OYEBISI OLUSEYI NIGERIA NETWORKS OF NGOs
- AMUSAT KOLAWOLE CENTRE FOR DISASTER RISK AND CRISIS REDUCTION
- FR GABRIEL ODELEKE JUSTICE DEVELOPMENT & PEACE MOVEMENT
- AWOYINKA KOLAWOLE JDPM OYO
- MEKWUYE OLABISI GREENSPRING DEVELOPMENT INITIATIVE
- FUNMI AKINYELE, PHD FOOD BASKET FOUNDATION INTL (FBFI)
- ADEBIYI WASIU. A PEACE DECEMBER NIGERIA
- EYITAYO FABUNMI CENTRE FOR SOCIAL RECONDITIONING AND DEVELOPMENT (CEFSORD)
- S COMMUNITY EDUCATION ADVANCEMENT FOR PEACE AND DEVELOPMENT (CEAPDI)
- JOHN PATRICK NGOYI JPDC-IJEBU ODE
- BIMPE ADEROUNMU AMSDEP, NIGERIA
- DR ADESHINA BELLO GLOBAL PROSPERITY INTERFAITH NETWORK
- TOLA WINJOBI CAFSO-WRAG FOR DEVELOPMENT
- MATESUN OLUWABUKUNMI CEPADR
- THERESA F. AJALA MARIA EBUN FOUNDATION