BENIN CITY – The Focal Person of the Edo State Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) Office, Mrs. Eire Ifueko Alufohai, has said Governor Godwin Obaseki’s vision to Make Edo Great Again (MEGA) is part of the plans to expedite the realization of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) and place the state on the path to actualizing the goals by 2030.
Addressing journalists in Benin City, she said the pillar five of the MEGA manifesto covers five SDG goals, including Zero Hunger, goal two; Affordable and Clean Energy, goal seven; Decent Work and Economic Growth, goal eight; Industry, Innovation and Infrastructure, goal nine and Responsible Consumption and Production, goal twelve.
She noted, “Pillar five in the MEGA vision of Governor Obaseki is about making Edo State the agribusiness hub in Nigeria, ensuring food sufficiency for production and industrial raw materials. I tell you that this is in line with the SDGs zero hunger, which is goal two.
“What it emphasizes is that to end hunger, we must think creatively about farming methods and technology that can help us to produce enough nutritious food for everyone through continuous agricultural production. The MEGA pillar five does not only aim at this, but it also aims at processing industrial raw materials. This is also about goal eight, which is to promote sustainable economic growth, full and productive employment and decent work for all.”
Alufohai said, “Pillar six of the MEGA vision touches on goals number nine and twelve which are industry, innovation and infrastructure as well as climate action. The pillar is aimed at building physical and digital infrastructure while sustaining the environment and this is in line with goal nine which is about good means of transportation, good roads, cars, bridges, ships, trains and telecommunications among others.
“We can see that these things are gradually being addressed by Governor Obaseki through initiatives like Benin River Port, Edo Inland Dry Port and the Edo Industrial Park, among others”
She explained that the essence of the seventeen Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) is to transform the world positively, calling for collaboration from all stakeholders to ensure the realization of the MEGA Agenda.
“The seventeenth goal is a partnership for the realisation of the other goals. This is to strengthen the means of implementation and revitalize the global partnership for sustainable development. It’s about how we all should work together to meet the global goals everywhere. Everybody’s knowledge is needed and everybody’s support is needed” she explained.
