WARRI/Nigeria: With the increasing need to implement the goals of the Sustainable Development Goals in the state, local government in Delta state are working to ensure that the idea of the program is localized to achieve the set objective.
Driving this idea, is a non governmental organization, Development Initiative for Community Impact (DICI), sponsored by Partnership in Niger Delta, PIND, which recently took the sensitization programme to across Warri North, Warri South-West and Udu Local Government Area of Delta State.
In a brief media chat with newsmen at the end of the event, the Executive director of Development for community Initiative and Impact (DICI), Mrs. Rachel Misan Rukky, disclosed that the SDG’s project is an accountability project, which received a grant from, for Partnership in Niger Delta, also known as PIND foundation, to implement the said project, known as Advancing the localization of SDG’s in Delta State. She added that they specifically chose two local government, which includes Warri North and Warri South-West Local government Area in Delta State to implement the project.
Rukky further hinted that Development Initiative for Community Impact (DICI) is a not-for-profit, non governmental organization. She pointed out that they primarily exist to promote human rights, democracy, good governance, peace building, conflict prevention, socio-economic development and a peaceful and economically vibrant society. She further explained that they do these by working with stakeholders to build gender equity through research and analysis, training, mobilization policy advocacy, Socio-economic and empowerment for sustainable development. She noted that in order to create and enabling environment that is safe and peaceful for an improved quality of life and sustainable development in our communities, the organization emphasises on community participation and inclusion which helps community members to work together to own the achievements facilitated by their programme and projects to sustain positive change.
According to the Executive Director of the Organization, the objectives of the DICI is to raise SDG’s project awareness among Local, State Actors and non-State Actors in Delta State, and also to promote active citizens’ participation in engaging and monitoring of SDG’s implementation in Delta State, just as she stated that the Sustainable Development Goals (SDG’s) are to eliminate all forms of Poverty, ensure Food Security for all, Good health and Wellbeing, Quality education, Gender equality, Clean water and Sanitation, Affordable and Clean energy, Decent work and Economic growth, Industry innovation and Infrastructure, Reduce inequality, Sustainable cities and communities, Responsible consumption and production, Climate action, Life below water, Peace, Justice and Strong institution and partnership for goals.
She however charged all Deltans in the private, business and government sector to try as much as possible to key into SDG’s project, by achieving any of the goals. She added that they are supposed to have social cooperate responsibility. She explained that SDG’s project is for everybody and not only for those in the government sector, just as she described the recent dialogue forum held at Ogbe-Ijoh as a huge success.
In his contribution the Executive chairman, Warri South- West local government Area in Delta State, Hon. Taiye Duke Tuoyo, gave his assurance that he and his local government council staff will give the SDG’s the support to bring development to local government Council, saying that despite the fact that there is no fund in the local government. He stressed that the local government will provide free education and training of acquisition skill for all .
Also, The leadership of Warri North Local Government Area (WNLGA) has said stated that practical steps would be taken to ensure unhindered implementation of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) in the communities to improve the wellbeing of the people.
The HPM of WNLGA, Mr. Emilogu Amigo, made the statement, when he represented the Executive Chairman of the Council, Hon. Aduge Okorodudu.
Amigo, described the forum as a welcome development, saying it was a wakeup call for the leadership of WNLGA to do the needful in order to prioritise the implementation of the SDGs in communities. Continuing, he said that sensitisation on SDGs was a veritable tool that educates the grassroots about the objectives of the SDGs, saying that capacity would be developed and policies put in place to achieve the SDGs across WNLGA.
