Background

The Millennium Development Goals (MDGs), a global pro-poor agenda of action of eight goals aimed at addressing extreme poverty and hunger, illiteracy, women empowerment and gender equality, child and maternal health, environmental sustainability, HIV, malaria and other diseases, as well as the building of global partnership for development, was in alignment with Nigeria’s development aspirations as listed out in the Vision 20:2020 document and lately in the Transformation Agenda. Nigerian governments therefore worked hard at realizing them.

Past Reform and Achievements

In 2005, the Office of the Senior Special Assistant to the President on the Millennium Development Goals (OSSAP-MDGs) was created, to act as the Secretariat to the Presidential Committee on the Assessment and Monitoring of the MDGs. OSSAP-MDGs was also charged with designing appropriate mechanisms to tag and track Debt Relief Gains (DRGs) funded expenditure. Sustainability policy frameworks on MDGs interventions in Water and Sanitation sectors were developed. Monitoring, supervision and data collection frameworks were introduced. A Conditional Grants Scheme (CGS) implementation framework as well as a consolidated e-based payment for the Conditional Cash Transfer (CCT) Scheme were created.

Achievements from the efforts include the 17,026 boreholes and small town water schemes constructed; 128 minor irrigation systems constructed; 5,425 health facilities constructed, renovated or equipped; 68,430 Health Workers Trained; 4,710 Village Health Workers engaged and trained; 3,136 classroom blocks built or renovated; 2,807,208 school exercise books, textbooks and instructional materials; 1,130 Education Extension Workers engaged and trained; 716 construction of 500KVA Transformer Substation; 1,000 construction of 300KVA Transformer Substation; and 103,067 households receiving Conditional Cash Transfer.

The Midwives’ Service Scheme funded by OSSAP-MDGs, and implemented by the National Primary Healthcare Development Agency, would win the Commonwealth award on Innovations in Government Services and Programmes

Challenges and Next Steps

There should be quick incorporation of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) that have replaced the MDGs. Advocacy should be made to states for continued counterpart funding of development programs. Dangers to development workers across the country, from Boko Haram terrorism and kidnapping, should be tackled and removed. The MDGs Offices created should not be abandoned; they should rather be used to formulate and drive development plans for the country.