By PALANG KASMI
In a renewed drive to accelerate progress towards achieving the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) by 2030, the Plateau State Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) Project Support Unit, in collaboration with Mission 21, has convened the 2025 Annual Roundtable to deliberate on strategic actions and partnerships for sustainable development across sectors.
The two-day forum, held on October 27–28, 2025, at Odilin’s Event Centre, Jos, focused on the Right to Development and had as its theme, ‘Sustaining the Momentum: Striving towards the Sustainable Development Goals in the Context of a Changing Funding Landscape’.
Participants included development experts, representatives of Civil Society Organisations (CSOs), relevant government agencies, Non-Governmental Organisations (NGOs), security agencies, women and youth groups, religious leaders, the media and other stakeholders.
Plateau’s progress, challenges on path to sustainable devt
In her opening remarks, the Project Coordinator, Plateau State SDGs Project Support Unit, Mrs Nanbam Danjuma, represented by David Pam Dusu, said the theme was timely as it challenged development experts and other stakeholders to re-examine their strategies, renew commitments and strengthen partnerships amid evolving global realities.
She noted that the SDGs—adopted at the United Nations Sustainable Development Summit in New York on September 25, 2015—envision a present and future that are economically sustainable, socially inclusive and environmentally resilient.
“The SDGs, also known as the Global Goals, are a universal call to action to end poverty, safeguard the planet, and ensure that all people enjoy peace and prosperity by the year 2030,” she explained.
Mrs Danjuma added that the goals built on the achievements of the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) while embracing new areas such as economic inequality, innovation, sustainable consumption and production, climate action, blue economy, peace, justice and strong institutions.
She further stated that the goals were interlinked, requiring collaboration across sectors to achieve success. “The SDGs work in the spirit of partnership and pragmatism to make the necessary choices to improve livelihoods in a sustainable way,” she said.
Reaffirming the importance of partnerships, she lauded Mission 21 for its collaboration, describing the roundtable as a platform for dialogue, knowledge exchange and the forging of collective solutions to shared challenges.
“As we sit at this roundtable over the next two days, let us be guided by a renewed sense of purpose, collaboration, and resilience. Let the outcomes of this gathering inspire actionable commitments that will sustain our momentum towards achieving the SDGs in Plateau State, Nigeria, and beyond,” she urged.
Development as a right, not a privilege
Speaking at the event, the Country Director and Coordinator for Mission 21 in Nigeria, Dr Yakubu Joseph, pointed out that development was a right, not a privilege, as recognised by the United Nations.
He said the roundtable was designed to create a sustainable pathway for development by fostering collaboration among diverse stakeholders—including youth, women and community groups—to encourage a paradigm shift.
“Development is achieved through multiple efforts from various stakeholders in society,” he noted, expressing optimism that the forum’s outcomes would influence policy direction.
Dr Joseph added, “This roundtable will contribute to solving problems because knowledge is a tool for power and transformation. It will help us learn from one another and engage in strategic planning towards actualising the SDGs by 2030.”
He commended the Plateau SDG Project Support Unit for its commitment and noted that participants were selected based on their experience and capacity to contribute to meaningful outcomes.
Meanwhile, an SDG consultant, Nelson Dalu, highlighted challenges facing the effective implementation of development projects, including Nigeria’s dependence on oil and recycled budgets that do not meet citizens’ needs.
He called on stakeholders to develop tools for monitoring progress across ministries and agencies to guide government decision-making and policy formation. On the challenge of climate change, he urged citizens to “plant trees around your homes and encourage your communities to do the same,” stressing that “effective partnerships bolster development and growth.”
SDG realities: Funding, collaboration, the road ahead
Panel discussions at the roundtable tackled the practical challenges hindering SDG progress in Plateau State. The panellists acknowledged that donor funding cuts were impacting development projects and urged greater collaboration between NGOs and government institutions.
They also emphasised involving men in gender equality campaigns through positive masculinity initiatives to combat Gender-Based Violence (GBV).
Panelists advised NGOs to explore crowd-funding opportunities, diversify their funding sources and engage philanthropists to sustain their programmes. They encouraged collaboration among organisations and recommended that government and NGOs co-fund joint projects to meet community needs and SDG targets.
However, with just five years to the 2030 deadline, some panellists were sceptical about achieving all 17 global goals within the timeframe. One participant asserted: “The SDGs are not realistic in the next four years unless individuals begin to embrace development as a personal goal.”
Ambassador Bridget Dakyes, Executive Director of the Women and Girl-Child Rescue and Development Initiative (WAGDI), called for greater collaboration between government, communities, and NGOs, while Abednego Dadar, Director of Planning and Research at the SDGs Project Support Unit, stressed the need for transparency and accountability in managing humanitarian funds.
Panellists recommended that NGOs establish proper reporting systems, empower communities through local governance and accountability training and create side enterprises to sustain operations. They also urged that Persons with Disabilities (PWDs) be integrated into all development programmes.
The two-day event featured paper presentations on faith actors’ roles, gender issues, stakeholder collaboration and local government engagement in SDG implementation. Exhibitions showcased finished products such as shoes, caps, charcoal stoves, clothing, reusable sanitary pads and perfumes made by inmates of the Jos Correctional Centre and trainees from various NGOs.
A communiqué outlining key recommendations and policy actions for the state government and other stakeholders was adopted as one of the major outcomes of the forum.