As the clock to the deadline of the achievement of the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) continue to tick, the Office of the Senior Special Assistant to the president of MDGs (OSSAP-MDGs) and stakeholders gathered to review templates for improving MDGs data.
Speaking at the event, the Senior Special Assistant to the President on MDGs Dr. Precious Gbeneol, represented by the Head, Special Projects Unit, Dr. Christopher Otabor stated that the gathering will enable stakeholders come together to review the templates with an operational framework so that within a short time a comprehensive reports of the MDGs in Nigeria will be available.
The SSAP also stated that though from Nigeria’s MDGs mid-term assessment report 2007, there were prospects that the MDGs would be met in areas of universal primary education, HIV/AIDS, environmental sustainability and building of global partnership for development. She however noted that the task for reduction of child mortality and improvement of maternal health is still lagging behind but achievable.
Gbeneol further stated that due to the dearth of current and accurate MDGs data coupled with the fact that most data contained in the MDGs 2010 report predates the year, it was important for the OSSAP-MDGs to liaise with all stakeholders to produce a 2012 MDGs report.
“it is expected that all relevant MDAs and stakeholders will populate the templates and come up with comprehensive 2012 MDGs report for dissemination prior to the September 2013 United Nation General Assembly (UNGASS) in New York.”
Also speaking, representative of the United Nation country team, the UNDP economic advisor, Colleen Zamba said that such reports were important as they were key navigational tools for countries striving to achieve the MDGs and also serves as reference points for international community seeking to partner on MDGs.
She also advised them to scale-up strategies that have worked in the past as time was fast spent.
“Permit me to say that there is the need to quickly intensify and scale up those strategies and initiatives that have been tested and known to work including infrastructure targeted investment through the conditional grant scheme, the midwifery scheme and strategic intervention in primary healthcare and education.” Zamba stated.
