Rommy Mom
7 March 2006
opinion
Makurdi — Towards eradication of poverty by year 2015, some Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) were developed by Comity of Nations at the United Nations.
Eight goals were developed principally to eradicate extreme poverty and hunger; achieve universal primary education; promote gender equality and empower women; reduce child mortality; improve maternal health; combat HIV/AIDS, malaria and other diseases; ensure environmental sustainability; and develop global partnership for development. Deadline set for achieving these goals was 2015.
Governments, donors, private sector and NGOs, have been working tirelessly towards the achievement of the set targets by the year 2015. Regrettably though Sub-Sahara Africa has made the least progress in comparison with other regions of the World.
With only 10 years left to the target date for achieving the MDGs, there is urgent need to scale up efforts especially in the Sub Sahara Africa towards it's achievement. Sub Sahara Africa, like Nigeria has instead of progress hence regressed which is evident from the increasing child mortality rate, poor standard of living, etc.
It is commendable that Nigerian Government has realised it has made little progress in achievement of the MDGs, which necessitated creation of development strategies like the National Economic Empowerment Development Strategy, NEEDS, at the Federal level, State Economic Empowerment Development Strategy, SEEDS, at the State level and the Local Economic Empowerment Development Strategy LEEDS at the Local Government level.
A number of issues and concerns that borders on implementation and achievement of MDGs must however be addressed by the various economic development strategies.
One that works against achievements of the MDGs from NEEDS, SEEDS, LEEDS is the insistence of Government on core issues or focused areas of development. In Benue for instance, the core issues from BENSEEDS in the State are Health, Agriculture, Water and Education. Same applies to other States and the Federation.
Particular emphasis is placed on other sectors. The achievement of MDGs will however be difficult to achieve in such settings. There is a high level of independence between the eight Goals that cannot be waived. Progress in one can be wiped out by lack of progress in another field. NEEDS, SEEDS, and LEEDS can be restructured to take this into account.
For the MDGs to be achieved the poor and vulnerable groups would no-doubt require special attention, from the aged persons, slum dwellers, rural populace etc., all requires special attention. Women make up to about 50% of our population, to ignore them or not give special attention to gender in our Development efforts will invariably weaken all efforts towards the achievement of the goals.
HIV and AIDS has long been accepted as a development issue. It is gradually wiping out all the gains of civic and political rights. Sub Sahara Africa is the most hit in the world. Governments must direct more resources towards awareness creation and treatment.
Our government must address development from a Right based perspective access to public services like electricity, water, health care. This must be seen as duties and responsibilities of the Government. This is integral if we must achieve the MDGs.
The argument that most governments in the Sub Sahara Africa cannot deliver on this owing to economic factors makes no sense when viewed against the scale of corruption and stealing of public funds by Government personnel. If corruption is fought in sincerity, our Governments, especially the Nigerian Government can deliver on public services as a duty to the citizens.
Closely related to the above is the issue of foreign earnings vis development. Nigeria in particular needs to diversify sources of foreign earnings. Palm oil, cassava, tin, coal, ground-nuts, kola etc. can be exported from Nigeria, to add to our oil revenue.
Foreign debts can hamper the realisation of the MDGs. Against this backdrop, we welcome the recent sizable debt relief granted Nigeria by our creditors. Problem however is whether these monies will be channeled towards public good. Owing to an endemic corrupt attitude of our public officials, it would have been splendid if the World Bank and the Paris Club insisted on the condition that, they would monitor the expenditures of the funds that would accrue to Nigeria on the grant of the debt relief.
The International Community ought to have insisted that this money be put in the provision of infrastructure and other social services to be monitored by them. So while we shout hooray on the debt relief, we have great reservations as to what it portends in real terms to the ordinary Nigerians.
Associated with this argument is the condition that the outstanding of the debt owed $12 million be paid at once. Pray, which country can pay out such a huge amount from its foreign reserve without great effects on its economy. Street economist have argued that it is because the World Body is aware that Nigerian has over $20bn in its external reserve that has led to this condition. From whichever way one looks at it, it has implications on achievement of the MDGs.
Information flow is another critical element in the achievement of the MDGs. This is where we are dismayed at Senate over the non-passage of the Freedom Of Information (FOI) Bill that has since been passed by the House of Representatives.
Access to government information and dealings, would afford the private sector, NGOs and other stakeholders the opportunity to positively contribute in the discuss for sustainable development and can also act as a check or monitoring of programmes towards the achievement of the MDGs.
Finally, Government need to partner with civil society organisations (CSOs) and the Private Sector in the pursuit of the MDGs. CSOs have a history of working towards the attainments of the MDGs, they relate more directly with the Civil Society because of their projects at the grass root particularly the poor and the marginalised groups.
For Government to effectively deliver, it must of necessity develop partnership with the CSOs and help improve and support civil society capacity building in areas of policy analysis and research.
Mom, President, Lawyers Alert, wrote from Makurdi, Benue State.
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