Nigerian Government Announces Unique Partnership With UN Millennium Campaign
Demonstrates Commitment to Citizen Engagement and Advocacy on the MDGs
New York, February 7, 2012 – The newly appointed Senior Special Assistant to the President of Nigeria on the MDGs, Dr. Precious K. Gbeneol, today announced a unique partnership with the United Nations Millennium Campaign at the UN Headquarters in New York. The partnership will centre on holding the Nigerian Government to account by promoting advocacy and accelerating MDG progress through building multi-level partnerships for attainment of the MDGs in Nigeria and Africa at large.
In particular the partnership will facilitate the strengthening of citizen feedback initiatives measuring the impact of MDG programs on citizens’ lives, build civil society advocacy and enhance parliamentary engagement in MDG processes through the formation and strengthening of MDG committees in Parliaments across Africa. The Honorable Mr. Adeyinka Ajayi MP is accompanying Dr. Gbeneol on the visit for this purpose.
Speaking about the partnership, Dr. Gbeneol said “The Federal Government of Nigeria is delighted to be working with the UN Millennium Campaign as part of its commitment to achieving the Millennium Development Goals by 2015. The partnership is a key element of our ‘Countdown Strategy’ and will broaden advocacy and citizen engagement on MDGs in Nigeria. As 2015 draws nearer it is critical that all countries redouble their efforts to making MDG achievement a reality.”
The Office of the Senior Special Assistant to the President (OSSAP-MDGs) has since inception been involved in building partnerships and implementation of programs aimed at accelerating the attainment of the MDGs in Nigeria. Some of its major accomplishments include the Conditional Grant Scheme which has been extended to 113 Local Governments across all the States in Nigeria; the Quick Win Projects and other Debt Relief Gains Projects. The Office has also conducted a nationwide needs assessment and baseline survey of basic infrastructure and social facilities at local levels. The results can be found on the website hosting the Nigerian MDGs Information System.
“We see citizens and civil society as major participants in the development process through effective participation in monitoring and reporting on the realities they face in their daily lives and holding governments accountable for the promises they make. At this critical juncture for MDG attainment it is heartening to see that a Southern government such as Nigeria, through the newly appointed Senior Special Assistant to the President on MDGs, is investing in directly engaging citizens and civil society to accelerate MDG attainment by 2015” says Corinne Woods, Director, UN Millennium Campaign.
During her visit to New York, Dr. Gbeneol also met with UN Deputy Secretary General, Asha-Rose Migoro, the Permanent Representative of Nigeria to the UN, the Special Representative for Africa, the Regional Bureau for Africa, as well as other senior officials at UNDP, UNICEF, UN WOMEN, UNFPA and other parts of the UN System.
The SSAP was able to secure the commitment of Geraldine Fraser Moleketi, Director, Democratic Governance Group who pledged her commitment to provide her team’s technical support to Nigeria MDGs projects in the area of democratic governance. In addition Dr Craig McClure, chief of HIV & AIDS at UNICEF also pledged his support to assist Nigeria with innovations to eliminate mother to child transmission of HIV.
Notes to Editors
1. In September 2005, the Paris Club granted Nigeria debt relief to the tune of US$18billion. This translated to annual debt-service savings of roughly US$1billion. In the debt buy back deal, Nigeria was also to pay US$12 billion. The significance of this debt deal was the fact that Nigeria had an annual savings of a billion dollars out of which 75% belonged to the Federal government and 25% to the States.
2. The Federal Government of Nigeria in keeping with its commitment to achieving the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) by 2015 decided to commit its portions of the Debt Relief Gains (DRG) to funding strategic interventions towards reducing poverty and meeting the MDGs. In line with this, the Federal Government in 2006 established the Office of the Senior Special Assistant to the President on the MDGs (OSSAP-MDGs) to coordinate programs aimed at utilising the DRGs.
3. As part of its 2010 to 2015 strategy for accelerated achievement of the MDGs, the UN Millennium Campaign in Africa has developed creative and innovative programmes including enhanced parliamentary advocacy, expanded citizens’ advocacy, and the citizen social accountability and feedback initiative, HUDUMA.
Media Contact for interviews and further information:
Anand Kantaria anand.kantaria(at)undpaffiliates.org
About OSSAP-MDGs
The office of the special assistant to the president on millennium development goals is an office of the presidency. Its mandate is to act as secretariat to the presidential committee on the MDGs, develop a coherent approach for the achievement of the MDGs and facilitate the design of appropriate systems to tag and track debt relief funded MDG expenditure,. The OSSAP-MDGs is not a ministry or agency, but a committed member of the president’s team whose vision and mission is that of the presidents.
About the UN Millennium Campaign
The UN Millennium Campaign was established by the UN Secretary General in 2002. The Campaign supports citizens’ efforts to hold their governments to account for the achievement of the Millennium Development Goals. The Millennium Development Goals were adopted by 189 world leaders from rich and poor countries, as part of the Millennium Declaration which was signed in 2000. These leaders agreed to achieve the Goals by 2015. Our premise is simple: we are the first generation that can end poverty and we refuse to miss this opportunity. For more information, visit www.endpoverty2015.org
New York, February 7, 2012 – The newly appointed Senior Special Assistant to the President of Nigeria on the MDGs, Dr. Precious K. Gbeneol, today announced a unique partnership with the United Nations Millennium Campaign at the UN Headquarters in New York. The partnership will centre on holding the Nigerian Government to account by promoting advocacy and accelerating MDG progress through building multi-level partnerships for attainment of the MDGs in Nigeria and Africa at large.
In particular the partnership will facilitate the strengthening of citizen feedback initiatives measuring the impact of MDG programs on citizens’ lives, build civil society advocacy and enhance parliamentary engagement in MDG processes through the formation and strengthening of MDG committees in Parliaments across Africa. The Honorable Mr. Adeyinka Ajayi MP is accompanying Dr. Gbeneol on the visit for this purpose.
Speaking about the partnership, Dr. Gbeneol said “The Federal Government of Nigeria is delighted to be working with the UN Millennium Campaign as part of its commitment to achieving the Millennium Development Goals by 2015. The partnership is a key element of our ‘Countdown Strategy’ and will broaden advocacy and citizen engagement on MDGs in Nigeria. As 2015 draws nearer it is critical that all countries redouble their efforts to making MDG achievement a reality.”
The Office of the Senior Special Assistant to the President (OSSAP-MDGs) has since inception been involved in building partnerships and implementation of programs aimed at accelerating the attainment of the MDGs in Nigeria. Some of its major accomplishments include the Conditional Grant Scheme which has been extended to 113 Local Governments across all the States in Nigeria; the Quick Win Projects and other Debt Relief Gains Projects. The Office has also conducted a nationwide needs assessment and baseline survey of basic infrastructure and social facilities at local levels. The results can be found on the website hosting the Nigerian MDGs Information System.
“We see citizens and civil society as major participants in the development process through effective participation in monitoring and reporting on the realities they face in their daily lives and holding governments accountable for the promises they make. At this critical juncture for MDG attainment it is heartening to see that a Southern government such as Nigeria, through the newly appointed Senior Special Assistant to the President on MDGs, is investing in directly engaging citizens and civil society to accelerate MDG attainment by 2015” says Corinne Woods, Director, UN Millennium Campaign.
During her visit to New York, Dr. Gbeneol also met with UN Deputy Secretary General, Asha-Rose Migoro, the Permanent Representative of Nigeria to the UN, the Special Representative for Africa, the Regional Bureau for Africa, as well as other senior officials at UNDP, UNICEF, UN WOMEN, UNFPA and other parts of the UN System.
The SSAP was able to secure the commitment of Geraldine Fraser Moleketi, Director, Democratic Governance Group who pledged her commitment to provide her team’s technical support to Nigeria MDGs projects in the area of democratic governance. In addition Dr Craig McClure, chief of HIV & AIDS at UNICEF also pledged his support to assist Nigeria with innovations to eliminate mother to child transmission of HIV.
Notes to Editors
1. In September 2005, the Paris Club granted Nigeria debt relief to the tune of US$18billion. This translated to annual debt-service savings of roughly US$1billion. In the debt buy back deal, Nigeria was also to pay US$12 billion. The significance of this debt deal was the fact that Nigeria had an annual savings of a billion dollars out of which 75% belonged to the Federal government and 25% to the States.
2. The Federal Government of Nigeria in keeping with its commitment to achieving the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) by 2015 decided to commit its portions of the Debt Relief Gains (DRG) to funding strategic interventions towards reducing poverty and meeting the MDGs. In line with this, the Federal Government in 2006 established the Office of the Senior Special Assistant to the President on the MDGs (OSSAP-MDGs) to coordinate programs aimed at utilising the DRGs.
3. As part of its 2010 to 2015 strategy for accelerated achievement of the MDGs, the UN Millennium Campaign in Africa has developed creative and innovative programmes including enhanced parliamentary advocacy, expanded citizens’ advocacy, and the citizen social accountability and feedback initiative, HUDUMA.
Media Contact for interviews and further information:
Anand Kantaria anand.kantaria(at)undpaffiliates.org
About OSSAP-MDGs
The office of the special assistant to the president on millennium development goals is an office of the presidency. Its mandate is to act as secretariat to the presidential committee on the MDGs, develop a coherent approach for the achievement of the MDGs and facilitate the design of appropriate systems to tag and track debt relief funded MDG expenditure,. The OSSAP-MDGs is not a ministry or agency, but a committed member of the president’s team whose vision and mission is that of the presidents.
About the UN Millennium Campaign
The UN Millennium Campaign was established by the UN Secretary General in 2002. The Campaign supports citizens’ efforts to hold their governments to account for the achievement of the Millennium Development Goals. The Millennium Development Goals were adopted by 189 world leaders from rich and poor countries, as part of the Millennium Declaration which was signed in 2000. These leaders agreed to achieve the Goals by 2015. Our premise is simple: we are the first generation that can end poverty and we refuse to miss this opportunity. For more information, visit www.endpoverty2015.org
