The Civil Society Legislature Advocacy Centre (CISLAC) has said Nigeria’s social, economic and governance challenges were immense but not insurmountable.
CISLAC stated this at the launch of the seventh edition of Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) 16 Shadow Report 2024 held on the sides of the ongoing United Nations General Assembly (UNGA) 79 in New York.
The shadow report is a critical document that assesses Nigeria’s progress towards achieving key targets under SDG 16- promoting peace, justice and strong institutions.
It called for the strengthening of Anti-Corruption Mechanisms in the security
Sector, stressing that Nigeria must empower its anti-corruption agencies to investigate and prosecute cases of corruption within security forces.
“Transparency in the operations and expenditures of security agencies is essential for restoring public trust and effectiveness in combating
organised crime.
“Enhance Interagency Collaboration and Intelligence Sharing: Effective crime prevention requires better coordination between the military, police, and specialized units like the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA).
“A centralized crime database and joint task forces will provide a more integrated approach to dealing with organised crime.
“Invest in Community-Based Policing: Local security initiatives that involve citizens in crime prevention must
be prioritized. Tackling the root causes of crime, such as unemployment and poverty, through community policing
strategies are key to reducing organised crime at the grassroots level.”
CISLAC’s Executive Director, Auwal Musa Rafsanjani, who presented Nigeria’s progressive review of targets 16.4, 16.5 and 16.10, noted that with bold reforms, increased transparency, and a renewed commitment to building strong, accountable institutions the country would achieve the SDGs by 2030.
“This edition brings to light some of the most pressing challenges
confronting our nation, particularly focusing on Targets 16.4, 16.5, and 16.10, which address organised crime, corruption, and public access to information, respectively.
“Today, as we gather on the sidelines of the United Nations General Assembly, we are reminded that the global vision encapsulated in the SDG is one that hinges on international cooperation and commitment.
“For Nigeria, this report emphasizes that, despite noteworthy efforts, substantial challenges remain. In particular, achieving SDG 16 remains a daunting task-one that calls for introspection, reform, and bold actions,” he said.
On insecurity, the report noted it had become an existential threat to Nigeria’s progress, revealing that 4,437 persons were kidnapped in 227 mass abductions last year alone, marking a sharp increase in organised crime.
“Despite an expanded defense and security budget, the rise in insecurity underscores the deep-rooted issues within our security framework.
“Corruption within security agencies continues to undermine the fight against crime, and as a result, many Nigerians have lost faith in the government’s ability to protect them,” said Rafsanjani.
He said the report also covered human rights and the suppression of free speech, using the #EndBagGovernance protest as an example.
“During the #EndBadGovernance protests in August 2024, at least 21 protesters were killed, over 1000 were arrested, and numerous journalists faced harassment or detention. Such actions run counter to the core values of SDG
16, which champions the protection of fundamental freedoms and the promotion of public access to information.
“These incidents should serve as a wake-up call: we cannot build strong institutions while simultaneously suppressing the very voices calling for accountability.”
Describing as unprecedented the current economic and social crisis the country was grappling with, Rafsanjani, who also heads Transparency Internation (TI), chairs the Board of Amnesty International (AI) and Transition Monitoring Group (TMG) all in Nigeria, noted that inflation reached a record 28-year high in June which caused immense hardship across the nation.
“The removal of fuel subsidies, while seen by some as necessary, has aggravated the cost-of-living crisis, pushing millions of Nigerians further into poverty.
“The government has called for patience, urging citizens to endure these difficult reforms, but the reality is that the burden of these austerity measures disproportionately impacts the ordinary Nigerian.
“Compounding these hardships, we are witnessing an alarming misuse of public resources. For example, the 150 billion Naira spent on the presidential jet and the commissioning of a 21 billion Naira residence for the Vice President are decisions that directly contradict the message of austerity the government is asking its people to embrace.
“These actions fuel public distrust in leadership and foster a perception of impunity among the political class,” he said.
Rafsanjani said fiscal imbalances and debt burden were a massive obstacle to sustainable development, adding that without significant reform, Nigeria’s aspirations of meeting the SDGs by 2030 will remain out of reach.
He recommended that the government should publish timely In-Year Reports and MidYear Reviews to ensure fiscal transparency, adding that a dedicated oversight body should be established to monitor budgetary processes in order to prevent fiscal mismanagement and bolster accountability.