By; Stephen Isayinka (MICMC, AUSIP)
“The Giant of Africa,” Nigeria, ranks 43rd out of 52 countries on the United Nations Development Programme’s (UNDP) measure of progress toward the 17 Sustainable Development Goals (2020). On a subcontinental scale, Nigeria ranks fourteenth among the fifteen West African nations. Only Guinea Bissau, the sole Portuguese-speaking nation in the region, is placed lower. In September 2015, the United Nations proposed a set of goals called the Sustainable Development Goals (UN-SDGs) with the intention of eliminating extreme poverty, reducing inequalities, and tackling climate change by the year 2030.
There exist a total of 169 individual goals inside the larger set of 17 global objectives. Included are goals such as “no poverty,” “zero hunger,” “excellent health and wellbeing,” “quality education,” “gender equality” “clean water and sanitation,” “cheap and clean energy,” “good jobs,” and “economic growth and industry.” More narrow goals help to achieve this overarching one, and they include, but are not limited to, the following: innovation and infrastructure; decreased inequality; sustainable cities and communities; responsible consumption and production; climate action; protection of marine and terrestrial life; promotion of peace and justice; establishment of strong institutions; formation of partnerships. While it’s true that Nigeria has made significant progress toward the SDGs, these results hardly paint a whole picture of the country’s current state.
Observably, The elimination of poverty, the provision of quality education, the creation of decent employment opportunities, and the expansion of the economy (goals 1, 4, and 8, respectively) are all worthy of significant focus. It cannot be emphasized enough that success in achieving the first three goals will ensure success in achieving the other goals as a result of their mutually reinforcing character.
It is crucial to stress that the 17 intercontinental goals, and notably 1 and 8, are not unachievable even for a large country like Nigeria. As cliché as it seems, believing we can do something is essential to really doing it. It is important to note that large international NGOs like the Gates Foundation, OXFAM, and the Ford Foundation, as well as the United States, the Netherlands, and the United Kingdom, all assist Nigeria because of the country’s abundant natural resources, talented workforce, and friendly culture. The Economic Community of West African States, the African Union, the European Union, and the United Nations all give their full backing.
Current realities;
In 2020, the Nigerian Bureau of Statistics reported that the country’s unemployment rate had reached 33.3%, with over 23.2 million people out of work. This rate was the second highest in the globe, and the highest in at least 13 years.
Currently, It remains critical to underscore that 43.3 percent of youths are classed as unemployed, a ratio that is escalating as our population grows exponentially. Criminal activities such as persistent attacks, kidnapping for ransom, banditry, and terrorism such as the Boko Haram insurgency have increased as a result of increased youth employment, particularly in the Northeastern, Northwestern, and North-central regions of the country.
It is also noteworthy to observe that investment in the military alone will not solve the crises of insecurity due to of high youth unemployment; instead, we need policies and jobs that will help young people, women, and people with disabilities start their own businesses.
The way forward
In order to end poverty and unemployment (goals 1 and 8), stakeholders need to embed institutional solutions for these problems within our social structures, our schools, and our governments’ plans for the future. Secondly, the government should fund initiatives that help young people, women, and persons with disabilities in Nigeria who are currently out of work acquire valuable skills for the workplace.
To end poverty and unemployment permanently, the government must ensure that all citizens have access to the resources they need to thrive, including financial aid, educational opportunities, and jobs, and protections for women and persons with disabilities. Community, religious, academic, and professional leaders have a responsibility to assist their followers and students in securing employment or launching successful enterprises.
In addition, the youngsters must be empowered, and stakeholders, such as the government and institutions, must coordinate their efforts to remove the scourge of poverty and youth unemployment in Nigeria, focusing on responsible citizenship and political accountability. At individual levels, Nigerians are required to be community builders and agents of change. Poverty and joblessness in communities can be reduced in a number of ways, and it’s up to individuals and governments to take action. Significant steps toward eradicating poverty and expanding long-term employment opportunities for women and people with disabilities include training rural farmers in best agricultural practices, providing the unemployed with job skills, leadership, educational resources, and training, teaching financial literacy to entrepreneurs, and establishing or joining a network to advocate for policy change. For women and individuals with disabilities, societal norms and biases are just two of the many obstacles to economic participation. An individual’s ability to serve as a role model and effect change in their communities can have a significant impact on the preservation or transformation of existing norms.
Attaining SDGs 1 and 8 by 2030 would take collective effort in Nigeria even as you help is needed. All levels of government, from the federal to the local level. Civil society, academic institutions, community and religious leaders, political figures, the media, and young people themselves must work together to ensure sustainable development. Condemning unfair societal expectations and norms, boosting access to livelihood and entrepreneurial prospects, assuring economic opportunity for all, implementing social programs to aid the helpless, and partnering with interested donors, local and international organizations are all essential measures for improving resource allocation and empowering those living in poverty over the long term.
Education is a basic human right that will help the UN accomplish its Sustainable Development Goals, particularly Goals 1 and 8. To accomplish this goal, the Nigerian Ministry of Education must ensure that all citizens get free, accessible, mandatory, comprehensive, equitable, and high-quality education and training. Education promotes peace, gives people hope, tolerance, and understanding, all of which aid in the development of individuals as entire human beings.
We need to shift away from the casual paradigm and toward one that is financially feasible and economically viable, in which students acquire not only traditional disciplines like history and literature, but also the practical skills needed to get and keep a job. The Nigerian government, including the Ministry of Education, the Ministries of Trade and Investment, Labor/Employment, and Agriculture, as well as government agencies such as the Industrial Training Fund, must collaborate to develop a national curriculum for teaching students of all ages job skills and entrepreneurship.
Finally, all stakeholders involved must strive for the elimination of poverty and joblessness in the country. As a result, Nigeria will be in a better position to achieve the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals, which include providing citizens with increased access to food, education, and work and reducing crime rates as well as eliminating terrorism, banditry, and kidnapping for ransom.
