Senate pledges commitment to tackling poverty

The Senate Committee on Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) has pledged commitment to tackling poverty and other goals under the programme.

The Chairman of the committee, Sen. Atai Aidoko, made the pledge in an interactive meeting with the United Nations Representatives on Monday in Abuja.

He said that the Senate constituted the committee because of the importance it attached to SDGs, adding that the committee was determined to work with relevant stakeholders to critically look at objectives of the goals.

Aidoko said that the committee would continue to interface with stakeholders to ensure that Nigeria reached the 2030 target of the SDGs.

He said that the 17 goals of the programme, which included poverty eradication, climate change, gender equality, education, good health, and peace and justice, were critical to national development.

“The United Nations Representatives came to interact with us so that we can rub minds to see where Nigeria is in terms of the SDGs.

“We were briefed on the objectives of the programme, how far Nigeria has gone and we were pleased to hear from them that Nigeria is rated very high.

“Nigeria, according to them, is the only country in Africa that has structures and institutional framework for achieving of the SDGs.

“Though this committee is at its inception in the senate, we will hit the ground running by interacting with major stakeholders on achieving this laudable project that will improve the lives of Nigerians.

“Our meeting with the stakeholders will continue tomorrow; we are having another leg of it on some specific,’’ he said.

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The Global Director of the United Nations SDG Action Campaign, Mitchell Toomey, expressed optimism that Nigeria would reach the target set for the goals.

He added that his office had heard positive news from Nigeria with regards to the programme and said Nigeria is one of the 44 countries that will present their report on their progress.’