President Goodluck Jonathan Thursday expressed concern over school drop outs in some Nigerian states, which is as high as 70 per cent, saying the record was not good enough, he noted that other states have just about one per cent school drop outs.
Jonathan made this remark at a side event on Transformative Agenda for Sustainable Development in Nigeria and Africa: Lessons, Actions and Emerging Perspective.
At the event attended by the Presidents of Ghana, Liberia and Senegal, President Jonathan also call for the provision of power to be made goal one instead of its seventh position in the post 2015 Millennium Development Goals (MDGs).
According to him, while every Ministries Departments and Agencies (MDAs) in Nigeria manages MDGs as it affects them, he said that the office of MDGs was established to fill the gaps.
He said that he chaired a meeting every three months in order to review the activities of the office so as to fill the various gaps.
Assuring the world leaders that Nigeria will strive achieve the MDGs, he said that he was passionate about infant mortality since he lost seven of his siblings before their first birthdays leaving only himself and his sister as the only surviving children.
“Infant mortality I’m passionate about because out of nine of us from my mother we are just two left. I don’t have direct sibling from my mother as a result of child mortality. I don’t want others to suffer what I suffered, that is why I am very passionate about this”, he stated
Pushing for power to be made goal one, he said: “There is no way we can talk about development without sustainable energy. You cannot change a society without energy. I feel that you people should review your priority and make it goal one”.
Speaking at the occasion, Liberian President, Ellen John Sirleaf commended Nigeria for the progress that has been made, particularly, the establishment of an MDG office focus.
Describing it as impressive and commendable and urging other countries to emulate it, she also called on countries to do the final push to ensure the MDGs are met in the next two years.
For Post 2015 MDGs, she called for African ownership and African programmes reflecting African future.
President John Mohama of Ghana noted that the achievements in MDGs are proof that countries have a lot of success stories to tell when they work together.
Stressing that his country has recorded tremendous success in other goals, he said that it was lacking in goal 7.
“We have 820 days to MDGs dateline, it might appear impossible but if we put our minds to it we can. We can deploy technologies and be innovative in our thinking and then we will be able to finish the unfinished targets”. He said
Harping on the need for girl child education to reduce early beds and illiteracy, he said: “We should not marry off the girls early, that will reduce the rate of early beds”.
President of Senegal, Macky Sall, on his part, congratulated President Jonathan for the cooperation in his country.
According to him, the side event was apt in context of debate in the ongoing UN General Assembly.
He also pointed out that his country has stopped the transmission of polio infections and that his country has one of the lowest rates of HIV/AIDS infection in the continent.
The Director General of UNFPA, Dr. Babatunde Osotimehin disclosed that 70 per cent of resources from the agency are going to Africa.
According to him, for the first time in the history of Nigeria, the buying of commodities for reproductive health has begun in Nigeria.
Ondo State Governor, Olusegun Mimiko, told the audience of the success story in child mortality in his state which he said have been reduced by 30 per cent in two years.
The partnership with World Bank and Federal Government which provided sustainability through the health insurance scheme has made it possible in his state.
He called on African leaders to open trade opportunities for Africa while talking about eradicating poverty.
The Senior Special Assistant to the President on MDGs, Dr. Precious Gbeneol gave a score card of her office achievements in attending MDGs saying that a total of 8,000 projects have been completed while 7,000 projects are on going and a total of N10 billion funds were distributed to the poor.
