Acting Vice Chancellor of Chukwuemeka Odumegwu Ojukwu University, Anambra State, Prof. Kate Omenugha, has stated that Africa is far from meeting the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), with about five years to go until the 2030 target date.
At a two–day International Conference with the theme, “Achieving Sustainable Development Goals in Africa: Management Strategies and Practices,” organised by the Faculty of Managements Sciences, Enugu State University of Science and Technology (ESUT), Omenugha stated that there was lack of intentionality in addressing the 17 goals by African countries.
She said, “Five years to achieve the Sustainable Development Goals (2030); the reality that African will not meet the targets confronts us. Education is a sham; our environment is nothing to write home about. Can we ever rid ourselves of poverty? Will there ever be a time when there is no hunger? Can healthcare ever be accessible?”
Quoting figures released by the African Development Bank (AfDB) in 2024, she stated that food insecurity, energy poverty and youth unemployment have continued to rise daily, stressing that the high mortality rate in Sub-Saharan Africa shows weak health infrastructure, deeply ingrained access inequalities and service delivery failures.
Omenugha, who wondered why higher educational institutions, which should be the drivers of the SDGs, appear to be lackadaisical, pointed to persistent development gaps, institutional weaknesses, climate vulnerability, inadequate infrastructure, and a lack of focus, among others.
She suggested multisectoral strategies that include environmental sustainability, entrepreneurship, and collaboration among stakeholders to address the particular challenges facing Africa.
The SDGs are a set of 17 objectives established by the United Nations in 2015 to guide development and promote a more sustainable, just, and resilient future. It represents a global framework for addressing some of the most pressing challenges, including poverty, inequality, and climate change, among others.
Declaring the conference open, ESUT Vice-Chancellor Professor Aloysius Okolie, represented by Deputy Vice-Chancellor Professor Chike Nwoha, described it as the first of its kind in the institution’s history, stressing that it would further contribute to the body of existing knowledge.
The Dean of the Faculty of Management Sciences, Professor Uche Ugwuanyi, said the conference offered a unique opportunity for university lecturers to stay updated on the latest trends and best practices in management sciences, enhance their research capabilities, and network with their counterparts.
He added that it provided valuable insights into how organisations could adopt sustainable practices, prioritise corporate social responsibility, and promote environmental sustainability.
Other speakers at the International Conference such as Speaker of Enugu State House of Assembly, Uche Ugwu, Executive Secretary and Chief Executive Officer, Financial Reporting Council of Nigeria, Dr. Rabiu Olowo, Director General, Nigeria College of Accountancy Dr Friday Akpan and a Professor from Texas, A&M University USA, Professor Ambrose Anoruo agreed that Africa can look inwards and find solutions to its peculiar challenges.
