NAN-HE-15
Reporting
By Cecilia Ologunagba
Abuja, June 20, 2017 (NAN) Dr Robert Asogwa, the team Leader, Inclusive Growth Unit of the UN Development Programme (UNDP), on Tuesday advocated reporting of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) in local languages.
Asogwa said this at the opening of a 2-day Capacity Training Workshop in Abuja on SDGs Reporting Format on Administrative Statistics in Nigeria, for Ministries Departments and Agencies (MDAs).
The aim of the workshop was to ensure the production of data monitoring and SDGs indicators both at national and sub-national levels.
SDGs comprising 17 goals, 169 targets and 230 indicators was launched and adopted by the 193 Heads of Governments including Nigeria in Sept. 2015.
The SDGs, a successor framework to the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs), seek to foster inclusive development while addressing the economic, environmental and social aspects of Sustainable Development.
He said that SDGs should be reported on quarterly basis and even in the language people will understand.
“UNDP is working with Ministries Department Agencies (MDAs) not only to mainstream SDGs into national and state plans but to ensure that a robust and monitoring framework is designed.
“You need to acquire skills on reporting so that you effectively monitor and evaluate progress and report it immediately.
“Together we will monitor progress on the SDG to ensure that no one is left behind,’’ he said.
According to him, there are four key essential ingredients of SDGs.
He said that the first key was localising and domesticating of national ownership, building partnership on SDGs, communicating the SDGs and reporting on the SDGs.
“Reporting is very key and that the UNDP, in collaboration with National Bureau of Statistics (NBS) is organising this workshop to be able to organise how we can report effectively on SDGs.
“Between 2016 and now; within this context of this partnership, we were able to design SDGs mapping report.
“We tried to map all the SDGs indicators to the respective MDAs both at the state and the Federal level,’’ he said.
The official said the essence of mapping was to be sure that we began the progress reporting exercise on time and to hold respective MDAs accountable to give feedback within their sectors.
“We also had a first baseline to curtail baseline on the SDGs indicators so that at the end of 2017, we should be able to produce a first comprehensive report on the progress.’’
Asogwa said that reporting the progress was very key, adding that it would help the stakeholders to constantly highlight areas of making progress.
He said it would also help to highlight areas of that are slow so that policy makers would see the report as it progresses.
“We need to touch light on the area where little progress is being made and those area we are making substantial and significant progress, so that we will be able to design acceleration mechanism to lift those sectors.’’
The official said that there were so many unfinished businesses in the MDGs.
He said part of it was that the stakeholders didn’t have a robust mechanism of constantly reminding policy makers that some sectors are being left behind.
“Now at the start of SDGs, we are making reporting key to the process and constantly on a quarterly basis and annual basis at Federal, states and local levels.
“There is need to report on all the indicators so that we can track our progress, where they have made mistake, correct them early enough to ensure policy makers will dedicate resources to achieve the SDGs.
“Whatever activities you (MDAs) are doing, ensure that your activity align to the SDGs. Once it is aligned, when you are reporting, it becomes easy,’’ the official said.
The workshop was organised by the NBS in collaboration with the Office of Senior Special Assistant to the President on SDGs and UNDP. (NAN)
CIA/EAL
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Edited by Ekemini Ladejobi