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ONDO PARTNERS SDGs CSOs STRATEGY GROUP TOWARDS ACHIEVING 17 GLOBAL GOALS
The Ondo State Government has expressed the readiness to continue to partner the Civil Society Organisations in its bid to achieve the Sustainable Development Goals.
The Permanent Secretary of Multilateral Relations Unit, Mrs. Yemi Pirisola was playing host to the Strategy Group of the State Civil Society Organisations led by Activist Temilola Odetola at the Governor’s Office in Akure.
The Permanent Secretary stated that the task of achieving the set objectives is a collective responsibility, assuring that the office will keep supporting the CSOs to play their part.
Pirisola urged the CSOs to partner the state in reducing the number of out-of-school children and discourage child labour which she said is prevalent in Idanre and Ilaje local government areas.
In her words, “we are waging war against child labour and we need your support to achieve this. Our children don’t want to go to school due to what they are getting, especially in Cocoa Farms while this is also prevalent in Ilaje local government area”.
The Permanent Secretary also noted that the inputs of the CSOs would also assist the government in the ongoing effort of Governor Lucky Aiyedatiwa to open up the riverine area of the state by promoting tourism.
While noting that the state social register is being expanded to accommodate more vulnerable members of the society, Pirisola said the government is dealing with households as community-based targeting is being employed.
She also also assured that slots have been given to the physically-challenged.
Earlier in her speech, the Coordinator of the group, Activist Temilola Odetola had noted that the Nigeria CSO Strategy Group on SDGs is a network of non-governmental and community-based organizations working to localize, track, and accelerate the achievement of the 2030 Agenda.
Odetola noted that the Ondo State Chapter had actively engaged in health, education, gender equality, environmental sustainability, and youth empowerment in line with the 17 global goals.
In her words, “we serve as a bridge between grassroots realities and policy-level decision-making. Our strength lies in community presence, technical capacity, and our unwavering commitment to inclusive development”.
Odetola assured that the partnership will synergize civil society efforts with the policies and frameworks developed by the Office of Multilateral Relations to ensure no one is left behind.
“As CSOs, we understand the pulse of our communities. We bring data, voices, and innovation that complement government action”.
“Our goal today is to deepen collaboration in the following areas:
1. Joint Planning and Implementation: We seek to align our programs with government priorities and multilateral opportunities facilitated by your office.
2. Data and Monitoring: Through community-based tracking tools, we can support SDG data gathering, especially at the grassroots level, to enrich state and national reporting.
3. Social Accountability: As development partners, we commit to promoting transparency, inclusiveness, and citizen engagement in all SDG interventions.
4. Health and Human Capital Development: With current initiatives on polio, HPV prevention, FGM reduction, malaria control, and disability inclusion, we are eager to collaborate with your office and relevant ministries to scale up impact”.
Activist Odetola used the medium to propose the establishment of partnership platforms that would drive the ideas.
“We propose the establishment of a State-Level Multi-Stakeholder SDG Partnership Platforms co-led by your office, with active CSO participation. This will serve as a coordination and knowledge-sharing mechanism to harmonize efforts, avoid duplication, and maximize resources”.
Odetola also commended the giant strides recorded by the Senior Special Assistant to the President on SGDs, Princess Adejoke Oorelope-Adefulire in ensuring the achievement of the 17 global goals.
Various speakers at the meeting including former Director of National Orientation Agency in the state, Mr. Bode Famose commended the Office of Public and Intergovernmental Relations for taking the bull by the horns and also promised to play their part in ensuring that the set objectives are achieved.
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