From Juliana Taiwo-Obalonye, Abuja
At the 2025 United Nations High-Level Political Forum (HLPF) held at UN Headquarters on Monday, July 21, Nigeria reiterated its steadfast dedication to accelerating the implementation of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development.
The Nigerian delegation, led by the Senior Special Assistant to the President on Sustainable Development Goals (OSSAP-SDGs), Adejoke Orelope-Adefulire, delivered the country’s national statement during the opening of the Ministerial Segment.
Speaking on the theme “UN@80: Catalysing Change for Sustainable Development,” according to a statement issued by her media aide, Desmond Utomwen, Orelope-Adefulire joined global leaders in assessing progress and strategising responses to ongoing challenges in achieving the SDGs worldwide.
“The world faces a stark reality,” she cautioned, “with only about 17% of SDGs targets on track. Accelerated, transformative actions are urgently needed, especially in developing countries like Nigeria, where global shocks and economic challenges continue to exacerbate poverty and inequality.” Aligning Nigeria with the Group of 77 and China, represented by Iraq, she highlighted Nigeria’s unique strides in SDGs implementation. She pointed to key national policy frameworks such as the National Development Plan (2021–2025), Nigeria Agenda 2050, and the Renewed Hope Agenda as central to the country’s inclusive growth, food and national security, infrastructure, industrialisation, and governance priorities.
She also referenced innovations like the Nigeria Integrated Sustainable Development Goals (iSDG) model, the Integrated National Financing Framework (INFF), and revamped national statistical systems aimed at improving SDG monitoring and evidence-based policy-making. On economic reforms, she reeled out significant measures, including the removal of fuel subsidies, unification of foreign exchange rates, and sweeping new tax laws designed to expand fiscal space and attract investment. “These policy shifts are already bearing fruit, with a recent positive upgrade in Nigeria’s sovereign credit rating,” she said.
Health sector transformation remains a priority, highlighted by the Nigeria Health Sector Renewal Investment Initiative, which fosters coordinated efforts between government, private sector, and development partners to improve health outcomes and security. Marking a decade of Voluntary National Reviews (VNRs) at the forum, Nigeria presented its third VNR since the SDGs’ adoption. “Our 2025 VNR emphasises inclusive action and a ‘whole-of-government and whole-of-society’ approach to drive accelerated progress,” Orelope-Adefulire stated, recalling the earlier reviews in 2017 and 2020.
She praised the value of peer learning among the 36 countries presenting VNRs and endorsed the recent International Conference on Financing for Development outcomes, reaffirming Nigeria’s support for the Addis Ababa Action Agenda as critical for sustainable development financing. Orelope-Adefulire concluded by declaring, “Nigeria will remain steadfast in its commitment to the full implementation of the 2030 Agenda. We will continue to champion universal values, promote global solidarity, and advocate transformative solutions to ensure no one is left behind.”
The 2025 HLPF, convened by the UN Economic and Social Council (ECOSOC), brings together ministers, civil society, private sector, and development partners worldwide to review progress and mobilise action towards the SDGs as the UN celebrates its 80th anniversary.
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