This was according to a member of the House of Representatives, Terseer Ugbor, while speaking at an event by Bridge Synergy and BusinessDay on the funding for change in Abuja on Thursday.
Ugbor noted the need for the establishment of relevant structures that ensure a safe environment for citizens, adding that environmental sustainability is a major component of the SDGs.
He added that it has become imperative for governments at all levels to do environmental assessments and respect the social impacts of what they do as much as they consider the economic impacts.
Ugbor disclosed that the lower chamber of the National Assembly has formed a committee on the SDGs, which is expected to come up with policies and regulations in this regard.
“At the National Assembly, we recently formed the Committee on the Sustainable Development Goals. And we also now have a committee in state and local governments. So, we’re going to be proposing policies and regulations that ensure that federal funding for the SDGs.
“And we’re going to be making proposals and recommendations to the federal government to ensure that funding for social projects are properly executed at the state level and at the local government level, and do not just stop at the federal level without a trickle-down effect,” he said.
At the event, stakeholders called for the development of relevant policies and bankable projects in order to attract the needed funding for the actualisation of the SDGs.
The Managing Director, Azura Power West Africa, Edu Okeke, said that it has become imperative for governments to consider environmental assessment and the general impact of projects on citizens when deciding on developmental projects.
According to him, Nigeria, over the years, has failed to develop bankable projects that can attract available finance.
In her remarks, the founder of Bridge Synergy, Ure Utah, said that the conference was centred on securing financial support for innovative social impact initiatives with the aim of bridging the annual financial gap of $10bn by introducing development partners to appropriate SDG initiatives in Nigeria.
