By Hezekiah Oyero
Ogun West Senatorial District will not cease to appreciate Senator Solomon Olamilekan Adeola (aka Yayi) for all he has been doing to improve the socio-economic well-being of his constituents. He is particularly a likeable jolly good friend of the grassroots people. His closeness to the underprivileged makes him so dear to the hearts of so many individuals and groups who have benefitted in one way or another from his gestures. So much has been said about this, including his empowerment initiatives, generosity of mind, kindheartedness, philanthropy, and good representation.
However, one dimension of his symbiosis engagement with the various stakeholders in his senatorial district that has been under-reported is his relentless effort to achieve the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) objectives of the United Nations (UN) for the good of all. It is necessary to put this in correct perspectives for a broader understanding of his concern for initiating some of the projects he has implemented and how they have impacted the lives of the people directly or indirectly.
Some of the core objectives of the MDGs targets as adopted by the General Assembly of the United Nations include, among others, poverty eradication, food security and improved nutrition, good health and well-being for all ages, inclusive and equitable quality education, gender equality and empowerment of women and girl child, availability and sustainable management of water and sanitation for all, access to affordable, reliable, sustainable and modern energy for all, environmental sustainability as well as collaborative action on climate change and its impacts.
These goals build on the vital principle of “leaving no one behind”, emphasizing a holistic approach to achieving sustainable development for all. While reports say that Nigeria has made some strides in attaining some of these objectives, there has not been significant improvement in the attainment of the goal of poverty reduction, food security, maternal mortality rate as well as improvement in access to healthcare delivery and out-of-school children etcetera. Some experts have identified a general lack of human capacity for implementation, poor access to primary healthcare delivery systems with high costs of healthcare, inadequate and unreliable data systems, underfunding, indiscipline with endemic corruption, and other challenges hindering the attainment of MDGs in Nigeria.
