…….As OSSAP-SDGs Kick-Starts Nationwide Regional Stakeholders’ Consultation on VNR.
Stakeholders and key players in achieving the United Nations 2030 Sustainable Development Goals, SDGs target across states in the Nigerian South-West region have converged on Lagos for the Regional Stakeholders’ Consultation on Nigeria’s 2025 Voluntary National Review, VNR on Sustainable Development.
This crucial engagement was convened under the auspices of the Office of the Senior Special Assistant to the President on Sustainable Development Goals, OSSAP-SDGs in collaboration with the Lagos State Government through the Office of SDGs and Investment.
In her keynote address, the Senior Special Assistant to the President on SDGs, Princess Adejoke Orelope-Adefulire, highlighted the importance of the VNR process as a mechanism for measuring national and subnational progress, identifying gaps, and enhancing accountability in SDGs implementation.
According to her, Nigeria’s 2025 VNR is not just an exercise in reporting but an opportunity to assess our collective efforts, refine strategies, and accelerate action towards achieving the global agenda.
Orelope who was represented by her Technical Assistant, Dr. Bala Yinusa, reaffirmed Nigeria’s commitment to the 2030 Agenda, emphasizing the need for a whole-of-government and whole-of-society approach to accelerate sustainable development efforts across the country.
“The Voluntary National Review is an opportunity for us to critically reflect on our obligations, assess challenges, and refine strategies to ensure no one is left behind. Through broad-based consultations like this, we strengthen policy coherence, encourage multi-stakeholder participation, and reinforce our commitment to the global SDGs agenda,” she stated.
She noted that the High-Level Political Forum (HLPF) on Sustainable Development, which serves as the global review platform for the SDGs, will convene in July 2025, where Nigeria will present its third VNR report alongside 38 other countries.
Welcoming delegates to the forum, the Special Adviser to the Lagos State Governor on SDGs, Dr. Oreoluwa Finnih, commended the OSSAP-SDGs for convening the dialogue, highlighting the pivotal role of subnational governments in translating the SDGs into practical, local implementation.
She stressed that as Nigeria moves closer to the 2030 deadline, the 2025 VNR consultation provides an excellent platform to re-evaluate progress, identify bottlenecks, and co-create scalable solutions for accelerating SDG implementation at both national and subnational levels.
While noting that Lagos State has remained a frontrunner in data-driven governance and policy innovation, the Special Adviser revealed that the Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu administration has institutionalized mechanisms to ensure that development policies and interventions are data-driven, evidence-based, and impactful.
“Lagos State’s 2023 Voluntary Local Review (VLR) has significantly influenced policy formulation, resource allocation, and inter-agency collaboration.
It has provided a framework for tracking our SDG progress and strengthening participatory governance, aligning our state policies with global development targets,” Dr. Finnih remarked.
She also reiterated the transformational role of periodic assessments, such as the VNR and VLR, in advancing sustainable development, stating that they enable governments to adopt responsive, transparent, and inclusive strategies to meet their SDG commitments effectively.
Dr. Finnih encouraged government institutions, private sector leaders, development partners, and civil society actors to contribute their insights and expertise to shape a more inclusive and results-driven VNR, noting that the national review is not just a formality, but a true reflection of the progress, challenges, and solutions needed to fast-track the SDGs.
She appreciated the Office of the Senior Special Assistant to the President on SDGs for its leadership and commitment to fostering a national dialogue and driving initiatives that aligned with the aspirations of the SDGs.
During the consultation, stakeholders including government officials, clusters of persons with disabilities, development partners, civil society organizations, and academia evaluated Nigeria’s 2024 SDG Progress Report, analyzed institutional frameworks, and discussed challenges and key recommendations to enhance multi-stakeholder collaboration toward advancing SDG attainment at both national and subnational levels.
Discussions also focused on leveraging public-private partnerships, innovative financing, and digital technology to fast-track progress in critical areas such as poverty reduction, quality education, gender equality, and climate action.
The regional consultation in Lagos marks the beginning of a nationwide engagement series, with subsequent discussions scheduled to take place in Uyo (South-South), Enugu (South-East), Gombe (North-East), Kaduna (North-West), and Abuja (North-Central), with a climax at a National Validation Summit scheduled for the Federal Capital Territory.