The Ekiti State office of Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) has validated annual review of its status covering all its 17 goal targets for year 2021-2023.
Speaking at the event which held on Friday in Ado-Ekiti, Mrs Peju Babafemi, State Head of Service, stressed the importance of self assessment and performance review by Ministries, Departments and Agencies , (MDAs), and commended the SDGs office for setting the pace in that regard.
Represented by Mr James Adeniyi Owolabi, Permanent Secretary, General Administration Department, the Head of Service said the impressive performance of the SDGs in the state, coupled with its rapid projects delivery had in many ways complemented efforts of the present administration of making life more bearable and comfortable for residents.
Mrs Babafemi tasked other agencies to take a cue from the SDGs by being above board in their activities and in the execution of government policies and programmes.
She expressed assurances that the validation exercise would give room for improved performance and enhance better service delivery in all its goal areas, with a promise that government would intensity support for the special agency.
In an opening remarks, Mrs Margaret Fagboyo, the Special Adviser to the Governor on Development Partnership and SDGs, explained that the purpose of the validation programme was to assess and evaluate the ongoing development initiatives and programmes in each MDA in the state.
This, she said, was with a view to considering their impact on SDGs attainment by year 2030, and to support better tracking and management of SDGs attainment efforts.
Fagboyo said the aim of the validation exercise was to determine the status of Ekiti State on all the 17 goals of SDGs and the tragetory of of progress, and also to identify initiatives and programmes that had aided or are aiding SDGs attainments among several other anticipatory results.
A lead facilitator, Prof. Christopher Oluwadare of the Ekiti State University, who doubles as the Chairman, Civil Societies Organisations (CSOs), described as timely the validation exercise.
The Professor of Medical Sociology said such regular engagement, which would see to thorough review and validation of all performance data on developmental goals received from all MDAs in the state, had become necessary to meet up with the 2030 termination date for SDGs programme worldwide.
In another presentation, Mr Olajide Oguntimehin, Senior Special Assistant to the governor on Planning, Statistics and Population Matters, harped on the importance of monitoring and evaluation in achieving desired results in any planning process, saying any planning efforts that failed to take account of the two concepts would be incomplete and therefore bound to fail.
In her own paper, Dr Abimbola Solanke, Senior Special Assistant to the Governor on SDGs, said the integrated 2030 agenda was a plan of action for the general well-being of people without discrimination, in line with SDGs 17 goals, 169 targets and 230 indicators.
She said all the indices are aimed at finding ways of sustaining development in areas of of human life, in a manner that would encompass economic, social and environmental values, among others.
“The sustainable development we are pursuing is the type of development that meets the needs of the present, without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their own needs. In other words, it aimed at maintaining economic advancement and social progress, while also protecting the long-term value of the environment,” she said.
The Executive Secretary of the state SDGs, Mr Dele Ogunsemoyin, acknowledged the continued support of Gov. Kayode Fayemi and partners of the agency in realisation of sustainable development goals in the state
He expressed gratitude for the cooperation, support and dedication of staff of SDGs Office and to the team of consultant led by Prof.C.T. Oluwadare, observing that the team demonstrated scholarship in the presentation and analysis of their papers.