Nigeria, UN sign $4.3bn pact for sustainable development

 The Federal Government and the United Nations on Thursday signed a five-year Sustainable Development Partnership Framework covering 2018 to 2022.

The pact, which is a $4.3bn project, is a successor programme to the current UN Development Assistance Framework III (2014-2017) in Nigeria.

The signing ceremony, which was done in Abuja, was the result of the joint effort between the UN, the Federal Government and partners over the past years in formulating the programme.

The Minister of Budget and National Planning, Senator Udo Udoma, signed on behalf of the Federal Government, while the UN Resident/Humanitarian Coordinator in Nigeria, Mr. Edward Kallon, and other UN Systems Directors in Nigeria signed for the world body.

A statement from the ministry said the UNSDPF had three strategic priority result areas of governance, human rights, peace and security; equitable quality basic services; and sustainable and inclusive economic growth and development.

The minister noted that the process for development of the UNSDPF, which crystallised in the signing of the document, involved extensive consultations between the Federal Government and the UN system.

He said the consultations allowed for sharing of experiences and for value addition to the development of the UNSDPF.

Udoma also noted that the UNSDPF aligned with and took cognisance of the main objectives of the Federal Government’s Economic Recovery and Growth Plan.

The minister said, “The aspiration is to make Nigeria a productive nation: A nation where we grow what we eat and consume what we produce.

“The growth we are targeting is an inclusive one in line with the Sustainable Development Goals.  A growth that is pro-poor, employment-generating and people-centred.”

In his remarks, Kallon confirmed that the UNSDPF was fully aligned with the ERGP, Vision 2020, the SDGs, Africa Union Agenda 2063 and other internationally agreed declarations.