MDGs: Jonathan Hosts Presidential Summit To Review Success Of Framework In Nigeria
As parts of efforts to accelerate the attainment of Millennium Development Goals ahead of the 2015 target date, President Goodluck will later this month host a presidential summit to evaluate the achievements, challenges and lessons learnt in the implementation of the development agenda in Abuja. The Summit is also being held to prepare Nigeria for the successor framework of MDGs, the post 2015 development agenda.
In a statement issued and signed by Dr Christopher Otabor, Head, Communications, Office of the Senior Special Assistant to the President on MDGs and Head, Presidential Summit sub-committee on Media and Communications, the Summit has with the theme: “The MDGs and the socio-economic transformation of Nigeria: 2015 and Beyond” is being held to review implementation of the MDGs in Nigeria, highlighting best practices, key achievements and the contributions of the development agenda to national socio-economic transformation.
The summit is also expected to come up with strategies to sustain the momentum in the final push to achieving the MDGs target in Nigeria, especially in those critical areas where Nigeria still lags behind, recognise and reward political leadership in the implementation of the MDGs with a view to raising political commitments to the outcomes of the post 2015 process. Also, participants at the Summit will reflect on the challenges and lessons learnt from the Nigeria’s effort to achieve the MDGs with a view to using aspect of the strategies deemed successful to fashion out effective implementation plan for post 2015 development agenda.
The Presidential summit will also review Nigeria’s contributions to the post 2015 process so far based on emerging outcomes and priorities at regional and global levels and lay foundation for political and institutional framework towards the implementation of the post 2015 agenda.
According to Dr Otabor, “Nigeria needs to lead the way in providing leadership for the rest of the continent of Africa in terms of forward looking strategies that can build on the gains of the MDGs, addressing new and emerging development challenges as well as stepping up political commitments in terms of financing and institutional frameworks towards implementing the post 2015 development agenda.”
The Summit will take place from 18 to 19 August, 2014 at the Transcorp Hilton Hotel, Abuja with participants drawn from different segments of the society – youths, women, private sector, government, civil society organisations, international development partners, trade unions, the academia and media.
The statement further noted that the Summit will begin with a High-level opening ceremony that will have presentations from President Goodluck Jonathan, President Paul Kagame of Rwanda and President Ellen Johnson Sirleaf of Liberia and followed by plenary sessions and parallel sessions on the implementation of the MDGs at State Level, Emerging Best Practices, Addressing Emerging Issues and Priorities in the implementation of the Post 2015 Agenda. The Summit will also feature Exhibitions, Feedback session, Launch of the Nigerian MDGs Information Management System (NMIS) and will be rounded off with an Award Ceremony.
The Summit, according to Dr Otabor is championed by the Office of the Special Assistant to the President on the MDGs (OSSAP-MDGs), in partnership with the United Nations System in Nigeria and the Centre for Law and Socio-Economic Development (CLED).
