President Muhammadu Buhari, on Friday, said the outbreak of the coronavirus had threatened to derail the progress recorded on Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) in the country.

Buhari spoke at the virtual inaugural SDGs Moment convened by UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres, during the high-level week of the 75th UN General Assembly.

The president, however, said Nigeria was addressing the threat by re-dedicating efforts towards economic diversification, focusing on agriculture and the mining sectors.

‘’Nigeria has made good strides in SDGs domestication processes, as we have commenced the re-alignment of the National Statistical System with the requirements and indicators of the SDGs.

‘’We have developed a novel home-grown ‘Integrated Sustainable Development Goals Model, as an analytical framework for assessing how policy making can better address the indivisible nature of the Sustainable Development Goals.

‘’Nigeria has also set up a Model Private Sector Advisory Group and SDGs Donors’ Forum with a view to engaging critical stakeholders towards the attainment of the SDGs,” he said.

President Buhari, in his video message to the meeting, provided an update on SDG progress in the country, setting out Nigeria’s vision for the next decade in fighting poverty, combating illicit financial flows and ensuring economic recovery amidst the COVID-19 pandemic.

Buhari said Nigeria would engage the services of National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) members across the country and 17 SDGs Ambassadors to champion the implementation of SDGs 2030 at the grassroots, according to a statement issued Friday by his spokesman, Femi Adesina.

Source: https://dailytrust.com/covid-19-threatened-sdgs-buhari