The Lagos State Government, through the Office of Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), has hosted a high-level Regional Stakeholders Consultation on Nigeria’s 2025 Voluntary National Review (VNR) of the SDGs.
The forum aimed to assess progress, address challenges, and enhance multi-stakeholder collaboration in advancing sustainable development at both national and subnational levels.
Convened under the Office of the Senior Special Assistant to the President on SDGs (OSSAP-SDGs), the engagement brought together key stakeholders from the South-West geopolitical zone, including government officials, development partners, civil society organizations, and academia.
Delivering the keynote address, the Senior Special Assistant to the President on SDGs, Adejoke Orelope-Adefulire, underscored the VNR process as a critical tool for measuring progress, identifying gaps, and ensuring accountability in SDG implementation.
Represented by her Technical Assistant, Bala Yinusa, she noted that Nigeria’s 2025 VNR is more than a reporting exercise; it is an opportunity to refine strategies and accelerate efforts toward achieving the global agenda.
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“The Voluntary National Review allows us to critically assess our commitments, identify challenges, and refine strategies to ensure that no one is left behind.
“Through broad-based consultations like this, we can strengthen policy coherence, encourage multi-stakeholder participation, and reinforce our dedication to the SDGs,” she stated.
Orelope-Adefulire also highlighted that Nigeria will present its third VNR report at the High-Level Political Forum (HLPF) on Sustainable Development in July 2025, alongside 38 other countries.
Welcoming delegates, the Special Adviser to the Lagos State Governor on SDGs, Oreoluwa Finnih, commended OSSAP-SDGs for organizing the dialogue and emphasized the vital role of subnational governments in localizing the SDGs.
“As we approach the 2030 deadline, the 2025 VNR consultation provides an excellent platform to re-evaluate progress, identify bottlenecks, and co-create scalable solutions for accelerating SDG implementation at all levels,” she said.
Finnih highlighted Lagos State’s leadership in data-driven governance, revealing that the state has institutionalized mechanisms to ensure that policies and interventions are evidence-based and impactful.
She pointed to the success of the Lagos State 2023 Voluntary Local Review (VLR), which has influenced policy formulation, resource allocation, and inter-agency collaboration.
“The VLR has provided a framework for tracking our SDG progress and strengthening participatory governance, ensuring that our state policies align with global development targets,” she added.
She further called on government institutions, private sector leaders, development partners, and civil society actors to actively contribute their insights, stressing that the VNR must be a genuine reflection of Nigeria’s progress, challenges, and solutions for accelerating SDG achievement.
During the consultation, participants reviewed Nigeria’s 2024 SDG Progress Report, analyzed institutional frameworks, and explored strategies to enhance implementation across various sectors.
Key areas of discussion included leveraging public-private partnerships, innovative financing, and digital technology to drive progress in poverty reduction, quality education, gender equality, and climate action.
The Lagos forum marks the beginning of a nationwide engagement series, with subsequent consultations scheduled for Uyo (South-South), Enugu (South-East), Gombe (North-East), Kaduna (North-West), and Abuja (North-Central).
The series will culminate in a National Validation Summit in the Federal Capital Territory.
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