LASG boosts SDGs actions with empowerment of Legislative Support stakeholders

By Moses Adeniyi

The Lagos State Government (LASG) has commenced exploring empowerment of stakeholders within the architecture of Legislative Support mechanisms to enhance the coverage of actions on Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).

According to the Government, empowering the stakeholders, which include Support Team and Secretaries to lawmakers in the State, with capacity building exercises was critically identified  to assess priorities and upscale actions in the implementation of development agenda.

A training forum for such human capacity empowerment, according to the Government, was critical to identify gaps and opportunities that will equip secretaries and legislative support officers to effectively mainstream the various goals into the legislative process.

At the commencement of a work-shop on the “imperative of high impact SDGs session for Legislative Support Team and Constituency Functions towards enhancing Legislative Actions in realising the SDGs in Lagos State,” held in Lagos on Monday, the   Permanent Secretary, Office of SDGs and Investment, Lagos State Government, Mrs. Abosede George, said the empowerment workshop was aimed at broadening and strengthening the participation of key secretaries and legislative officers in the implementation of SDGs.

“The SDGs as a ground breaking global commitment explicitly  recognised,  from the  outset,  the  salient important  of  the law-making arms of government in the adaptation, implementation and attainment of the Agenda 2030.

“While the SDGs are not legally binding, we as a progressive government have assumed a moral commitment to implement them to the best of our abilities and in accordance with our development priorities,” George said.

According to her, “It is highly desirable to strive for a consensus across the political spectrum considering the increased global recognition of the critical role that legislature has to play in the attainment of a sustainable development agenda.”

She disclosed that SDGs process from the beginning recognised that parliamentarians are valuable partners in ensuring accountable, inclusive, participatory and transparent governance that is necessary to achieve sustainable development for all.

“For reasons that are connected with their constitutional roles in a functioning democracy, the legislature is at the centre of the realisation of the SDGs. Consequently, a well-rounded staff who have access to information, data and evidence to be able to provide critical and timely advice to legislators is necessary for an effective development agenda.

“Without a strong contingent of such staff, the legislature will not be able to engage with the key political actors on an equal footing,” the Permanent Secretary represented by Mrs. Dolapo Oludipe, Head Admin and Human Resources, office of SDG and Development, said.

She charged the participants to pay utmost attention to the empowerment details and be proactive in gathering information that will support the State in making informed decisions.

“It is now very clear that you all have a critical role to play in driving forward people-centred development that is reûective of, and responsive to the needs of the majority.

“While you are expected to maintain high professional, ethical and confidentiality standards that are consistent with office policies, it is significant that you inspire practices and procedures that will entrench legislatives engagement with the SDGs.

“Leaving no one behind is an underlying principle of the SDGs. Its aim is to ensure that regardless of ethnicity, gender, geography, disability, race or other status, no person is denied universal human rights and basic economic opportunities.

“This is thus laying more emphasis on the need to localise the goals as areas of relative deprivation are always targeted when implementing the SDGs at the local level,” George said.

In his remarks, the Managing Partner, ICON Consult, Femi Akinbo, said the forum was essential given the strategic roles of secretaries with intermediate relevance between the lawmakers and the grassroots in relation to SDGs actions.

“This programme is very important. Secretaries are the closest to the lawmakers without emotional attachment, because they midwife the grassroots and the lawmakers. They are closer to the grassroots and the lawmakers.

“They play a very important role when it comes to Sustainable Development Goals in Lagos. They can achieve this by ensuring they make the lawmaker know what is going on in the grassroots, as well as,letting the grassroots know what the Lagos State Government has in stock for them in terms of development goals and opportunities available for them to harness,” Akinbo said.

According to him, participants would be expected at the end of the exercises to be empowered to inform legislators of the problems in the grassroots, “in terms of developmental goals and needs in the grassroots, so that the lawmakers can tailor their programmes enhancing development in the grassroots.”

Speaking, a participant, Oluleye Daniel, said the training would make it easier to assist their principals in mobilising and sensitising “the grassroots to know where to channel their strength in achieving and benefiting from SDGs goals.”

Another participant, Abubakar Awa, said the long awaited training would go a long way to boost their efficiency in service delivery both to the lawmakers and the grassroots at large.