From Kenneth Udeh, Abuja
The Office of the Presidency on Sustainable Development Goals headed by the Senior Special Assistant to the President on SDGs,Victoria Adejoke Orelope-Adefulire, has presented a budget estimate of 67.169 Billion naira (Sixty seven Billion, one hundred and Sixty Nine Million, Eight Hundred and twelve thousand, nine hundred and one naira) for its expenditure in 2024.
Appearing before the Senate Committee on Sustainable Development Goals chaired by Senator Danjuma Goje on Tuesday for it’s 2024 budget defence sessions , Adefulire in her presentation proposed an estimated of 148, 725 million as overhead cost, 46.500 Billion for SDG project one cost and the sum of 20. 521 billion for SDG Project 2 cost, making a total of 67. 169 Billion naira which was presented as its budgetary estimate subject to the approval of the Senate.
Giving further details via her presentation the former Deputy Lagos Governor stated that the sum of 46. 500 Billion naira would be spent on SDGs Mainstreaming and Integration; Establishment of SDGs Special Intervention Projects, Social Investment Centres, PHCs, Mother & Child Centres, etc. While the sum of 20.521 Billion naira would be spent on construction of Classroom blocks, Market stalls for Grassroots Economic Development; Equipping of Mother and Child Centres etc.
On the performance of the 2023 Budget Adefulire in her analysis stated that the sum of 118. 984 million naira was approved but the sum of 79. 322 million naira was released and spent on overhead coss at a 66.67 percent rate leaving an outstanding of 39. 661 million naira.
For SDG 1 project the sum of 46. 500 Billion was appropriated but only the sum of 27.900 Billion was released to the office at a 60 percentage rate leaving an outstanding of 4 Billion naira.
In recurrent capital the entire sum of 16. 307 billion was spent and for the zonal intervention project the entire approved sum of 326 million naira was released to the office.
In summary out of the 73.253 Billion approved by the Senate in 2023 only the sum of 35.305 Billion was released to the office of the SDGS leaving an outstanding release of 38.947 Billion naira.
Adefulire gave an overview of the achievement of the SGDs in Nigeria according to her the SDGs build on the achievements of the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) (2000 — 2015), while embracing new areas such as economic inequality, innovation, sustainable consumption and production, climate change and peace and justice.
She highlighted the challenges; “just as Nigeria left the 2016 recession and commenced the ‘Decade of Action’ for the DGs, and making modest progress on poverty reduction, the impact of COVID-19 has set the country backwards from the already developmental gains recorded.
“The primary and secondary effects of the pandemic could reverse decades of human development gains and jeopardise the achievement of the SDGs unless immediate action is taken.
Presenting a key performance index of the 2023 budget Adefulire posited that Power, Water, Education, Empowerment, Infrastructure and Health recorded 16.74 , 6.33, 6.33, 9.05, 30.32, 31.32 percentage rate.
The President’s SSA also lamented the state of insecurity in the country which she described as a major factor affecting the attainment of the SDG Goals.
She said ; “Majority of Nigerians are farmers but because farmers cannot go to farm, because of clashes with herders now food prices have gone up, now the crisis has denied the farmers to go to farm. And all of that has negative impacts on SGDs. When you’re hungry you’re in poverty and it affects other cross cutting SDGs. So we pray that with the new administration farmers will be empowered maximally, we look forward to seeing that food sufficiency is guaranteed.
In his contribution Senator Orji Uzor Kalu commended Adefulire for executing numerous intervention projects across states of the Federation. He said ; ” I have seen so many hospitals and schools. I went to see one of the projects such as the mother and child hospitals. It’s also good to commend them if they have done well. We have commended her for the job that she has done. She should reflect to accommodate our colleagues.
Senator Abiru Adetokunbo also lauded Adefulire for her efforts; “I want to commend her Excellency and her team. There might be some areas which they haven’t done well. I think the critical sectors they are yearning for support, I have seen some major interventions there. I can also see a fair spread and representation of Nigeria. What you have done is remarkable and I love it that you have documented all your actions. The only reward for good work is more work.
However, Senator Joel-Onowakpo Thomas complained that no SDG project was sited in his Delta state in the 2023 Budget, he queried if it was an omission
In her response Adefulire clarified that the office had indeed constructed some projects in Delta State which include the construction of a Doctors Quarters.