As we head into the last 9 years to attain the Sustainable Development Goals, leave no one behind must be at the centre of local efforts. The coronavirus pandemic has highlighted the rising cases of inequalities, hunger, and inadequate access to the necessities of life and the urgency to ensure we leave no one behind. In Nigeria, young leaders have realized that for things to change, there must be a strategic alliance between government, private sector, civil society organizations, academia, religious and traditional institutions that will focus on improving the lives of the poor and vulnerable in communities. Therefore, Nigeria Youth SDGs Network champions conducted advocacy visits to the SDGs focal points in their states to explore how youth can work with the office to accelerate developmental progress in the grassroots.
During the advocacy visits, young leaders shared the report from the 2019 International Youth Day dialogue held across 21 states in Nigeria with the theme Amplifying Youth Voices for the SDGs. The report highlights immediately actionable points that government can work with young people towards localizing the SDGs and ensuring no one is left behind through human capital development. More than 2,500 young people across Nigeria who attended the youth day event agree that for change to happen, it has to be a bottom-up approach and they buttressed the need for decision-makers to listen to young people and work with youth towards attaining the developmental agenda.
Download the 2019 Regional Dialogue Report
The SDGs focal points while receiving the young leaders alluded to the need for government to focus on the first ten SDGs targets as they provide the impetus to ensure we leave no one behind. With 6 successful visits at the time of this report, focal persons have demonstrated willingness to work with the network in structuring advocacy and projects that factor in the needs of young people especially around quality education, human resource development, and decent work. These visits have also provided helpful insights on the progress of SDGs in various states and policy targets and interests of individual states. It has also proven reliably that young Nigerians are open to supporting and participating in building a more inclusive society that works for all.
Dr Shadrach Akpem who leads the advocacy team of Nigeria Youth SDGs Network said “the visits were aimed at continuing the strategic plan which was part of the outcome of the regional youth dialogue that was held across 21 states on the international youth day celebration in 2019. And by sharing the outcome and report of that historic engagement with various state governments, the network hopes to bridge the working gap and lack of partnership with state governments and NGOs in working to achieve the global agenda in 2030.”
Read Why Advocacy is key to Achieving the Global Goals
As an organization, we believe that when young people play an active role in ensuring decision-makers are accountable it makes it possible to connect power to youth which will provide a huge momentum towards local and effective action for progress. Young people can support the work of government interventions and projects and providing the needed tools that will help simplify how government communicates and monitors programs that will transform the lives of people.
