Experts urge active PPP to achieve sustainable development goals
Orelope-Adefulire
To attain the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) by 2030, Senior Special Assistant to the President on SDGs, Princess Adejoke Orelope-Adefulire, has called for a more active public and private sector partnership.
She also stressed the need to adopt creative and innovative ways to build more equal, inclusive and resilient societies.
She made this call at the Lafarge Africa maiden edition of Sustainability Webinar first series held recently, themed, “The Decade of Action: Advancing the SDGs in a post pandemic era.”
Orelope-Adefulire, represented by the Senior Technical Advisor, Dr Bala Yusuf, said the event is suitable, timely and a clear manifestation of Lafarge Africa collective commitment to the achievement of the SDGs in Nigeria and Africa at large.
She said: “Recall that in September 2015, World Leaders adopted the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development as a successor development framework to the Millennium Development Goals.
“The 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development envisions a present and a future that is economically sustainable, socially inclusive and environmentally resilient.”
She said this vision is expressed through the 17 SDGs; 169 targets and 230 Key Performance Indicators (KPIs), saying the SDGs are a universal call to action to end poverty, safeguard the planet, and ensure all people enjoy peace and prosperity by the Year 2030.
She noted that following the adoption of the SDGs, Nigeria acted very quickly in the overall implementation of the 2030 Agenda, adding that institutional frameworks have been established at the national and sub-national levels, and considerable progress has been recorded.
She noted that evidently, COVID-19 has revealed the vulnerability of healthcare systems in developing countries, saying that unfortunately, those who suffered the most are the poor and most vulnerable, women, children, people with disabilities, and older persons.
She added that one of the most effective ways to do this is by strengthening existing partnerships between the public and private sectors and other critical stakeholders.
She added that the Lafarge Africa Sustainability Series is in line with its idea of the Private Sector Advisory Group on SDGs, which is to create a strategic platform for galvanizing ideas, mobilising expertise and financial resources in support of SDGs achievement in Nigeria.
The Chairman of Lafarge Africa, Ade Adfioye, said: “In line with our organisation’s commitment to Sustainability, economic and social governance is fully embedded in our operations and value chain. It is the platform on which our enterprise is built.”
Adifiye added, “With the impact of COVID-19 and more than before, our commitment to Sustainability is absolute. Joining this conversation today is one of the ways we want to further entrench economic and social governance.”
The CEO of Lafarge Africa, Khaled El-Dokani, said the Sustainability Series is a four week long engagement, which will focus on what we need to do collectively to achieve more measurable impact and accelerate the SDGs.
He also said it affords an opportunity to share best practices for adoption in Nigeria, and agree collectively how to jointly progress the SDGs from the decade of action.
