The Federal Government has emphasized that achieving the **Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs)** requires their full integration into national and sub-national development plans rather than treating them as isolated initiatives.
The **Senior Special Assistant to the President on SDGs (SSAP-SDGs), Princess Adejoke Orelope-Adefulire**, made this call during the **North-East Regional Consultation in Gombe**, part of Nigeria’s **2025 Voluntary National Review (VNR)** preparations for the **High-Level Political Forum (HLPF) in New York this July**. Represented by **Dr. Bala Yunusa, Senior Technical Adviser**, she explained that the **United Nations Economic and Social Council (ECOSOC)** established the HLPF as a global review mechanism for the 2030 Agenda. Nigeria, now conducting its third VNR, is engaging stakeholders across all six geopolitical zones to assess progress, challenges, and future opportunities.
A statement from her **Special Assistant on Media and Strategic Communication, Desmond Utomwen**, highlighted the urgent need to accelerate SDG progress. Citing the **2024 UN Sustainable Development Goals Report**, she revealed that only 17% of SDG targets are on track, nearly 50% show minimal or moderate progress, and over one-third have stalled or regressed. She attributed Nigeria’s slow SDG progress to dwindling financial resources, the COVID-19 pandemic, and persistent insecurity.
Orelope-Adefulire stressed the importance of **robust Monitoring, Evaluation, and Reporting (MER) mechanisms**, including SDG Progress Reports and the VNR, to track achievements and challenges. She called for stronger collaboration among public and private sectors, the UN Development System, donor agencies, academia, and civil society to ensure no one is left behind.
Referring to the **“Pact for the Future”** adopted during the **79th UN General Assembly**, she reaffirmed world leaders’ commitment to bold and transformative actions for SDG acceleration. She also echoed **UN Secretary-General António Guterres’** call for massive investments and strategic partnerships to drive key transitions in food security, energy, and digital connectivity.
She commended **Nigeria’s Multi-Stakeholder Core Working Group for the 2025 VNR**, acknowledging the contributions of members from government agencies, the UN Development System, private sector groups, civil society organizations, and academia.
The **North-East Regional Consultation** brought together 150 participants from six states, focusing discussions on institutional frameworks for SDG implementation, progress across the 17 SDGs, and challenges and lessons learned.
**Gombe State SDGs Focal Person, Engr. Sulaiman Turaki**, described the event as a critical dialogue shaping Nigeria’s next VNR. He urged stakeholders to actively contribute, ensuring the review accurately reflects progress, challenges, and opportunities while ensuring no one is left behind in the country’s development efforts.