By Chimezie Godfrey
The Civil Society and Legislative Advocacy (CISLAC) in commemoration of United Nation’s Global day of Action on Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) has demanded for increased legislative priority and inclusive process in the implementation of SDGs.
The Executive Director of CISLAC, Auwa Ibrahim Rafsanjani said, “While the SDGs remains the globally ratified blue print to effectively drive development agenda and priorities, we find the critical roles of the legislators as paramount in actualizing such priorities in Nigeria.
“As effective implementation of the SDGs requires greater transparency, accountability and political will, CISLAC calls on the legislators as custodians of the SDGs to promote, safeguard and strengthen oversight activities on implementation of the SDGs to high impact and efficiency at all levels.
“This syndicated action will enhance appropriate domestication and implementation of the SDGs by all levels of government with prioritized citizens’ engagements to promote sustainability and ownership,” he stressed.
Rafsanjani emphasized that Nigeria has ardently adopted the SDGs much more than it did with the MDGs and the National Assembly (NASS) has demonstrated strong leadership role and best practices on the SDGs by chairing the African Network of Parliamentarians on the SDGs.
However, there is still a lot to be done to ensure the prompt implementation of the SDGs, particularly SGD 16 to be institutionalized in governance and systems.
“CISLAC joins UN SDG Action Campaign (UNSDG-AC) to mark this year’s 73rd Anniversary of the United Nations through its Global Day to #Act4SDGs to call on stakeholders and citizens to amplify the impact of local and global actions for the SDGs by encouraging legislative and civic movement for the implementation and achievement of the SDGs.
“We also seek that the recommendations of the SDG 16 Shadow report be promptly given attention to and possible implementation.
“We call on the leadership of the National Assembly who has demonstrated commitment and guidance in the implementation of the SDGs, particularly SDG 16 to provide legal and legislative actions on targets 16.4, 16.5 and 16.10. NASS should also monitor and provide legislative oversight on the appropriation, release and management of funds to the Office of the Senior Special Assistant to the President on the SDGs (OSSAP-SDGs) to enable them function effectively, transparently and accountably in implementing the SDGs,” he further stated.
He reiterated that CISLAC and her partners remain committed and open to partner and provide technical support to other organizations.
“We will continue to ensure that processes leading to the implementation of the SDGs are transparent, accountable and effectively monitored because we believe the realization of the SDGs is everyone’s business and rest on the pockets of combined efforts of all of us while leaving no one behind, he concluded.”
