23 States, FCT Get N24bn From Conditional Grant Schemes – SDGs Boss

 23 States, FCT Get N24bn From Conditional Grant Schemes – SDGs Boss

The Senior Special Assistant (SSA) to the President on Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), Mrs. Adejoke Orelope-Adefulire, has said 23 states of the Federation and the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) have received N24,450,000,000.00 from the

Conditional Grant Schemes.

She said this Thursday while featuring on the Ministerial Media Briefing organised by the Presidential Communications Team at the Presidential Villa, Abuja.

Princess Orelope-Adefulire said it was provided as incentive to invest more of their resources into areas of national development priorities and the Millennium Development Goals(MDGs)/SDGs.

The fund, disbursed from 2015 till date, was introduced in 2007 with a 50 percent marching grant from the federal government and 50 percent from the participating states.

She added that the grants were targeted at education, health, water and sanitation projects “aimed at executing pro-poor projects in a consultative manner with the beneficiaries.”

The SDGs boss said the money was specifically spent on the implementation of 732 water and sanitation facilities; 494 health facilities (new facilities and renovation/rehabilitation); 616 education facilities (new construction, renovation/rehabilitation of block of classrooms); 1,150 women and men empowered/trained in vocational skills, such as sewing, knitting, detergent and pomade making among others.

She said there were special intervention projects across the geo-political zones, an initiative, she added, was aimed at strategic investment to fast-track the achievement of the SDGs in Nigeria.

Orelope-Adefulire, while speaking on Nigeria’s 2nd Voluntary National Review (VNR) 2020 on SDG-3, said the country faces challenges on health outcomes, such as high rates of maternal mortality, but added that there have been significant reduction in the under-five mortality rates (from 157 to 132).

She said Nigeria’s current access to basic drinking water now stands at 64%.

According to her, the review emphasised the need for more investment in public health and to ensure the most vulnerable are reached through universal access to basic healthcare services.

On ending poverty in all its forms everywhere, reducing poverty and sharing prosperity under SDGs Goal 1, she said the federal government has maintained steady investment in expenditure in health, education, and other social services between 2015 and 2018 “because investments in these areas are essential and integral to addressing poverty.