Rivers, EU Partner On Development Goals

The Rivers State Government has expressed its willingness to partner with the European Union to make the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) work in the state.
The Special Adviser to the Rivers State Governor on the Sustainable Development Goals, Hon. Mrs. Toru Ofili, said this when she hosted the European Union representative to Nigeria and ECOWAS, Ms Pauline Torebell.
Ofili assured Torebell of the government’s commitment in making the state safe for investors, and noted that as part of efforts to promote the SDGs, the governor has already established an office for that purpose, and solicited for support from the body so as to reduce the level of poverty, promote healthcare and the girl-child education, which according to her, are components of the SDGs.
Earlier, Torebell, who is also the Head of Politics and Information Communication of the EU, had said she was in the state to, among other things, discuss how the EU would be of help to the state in promoting the SDGs programmes.
The SDGs has 16 goals covering health, wealth creation and environmental protection.
Meanwhile, the United Nations has lauded the state Governor, Chief Nyesom Wike, for being the first governor to domesticate the SDGs in the country.
The body made the commendation in a letter signed by the Regional Director of the United Nations SDGs Action Group, Mr. Sering Falu Nije, on behalf of the Secretary General, Ban Ki- moon.
The group said it welcomed the setting up of the SDGs office by the government, and promised to avail the office with its expertise services in mobilizing global stakeholders and facilitate strategic partnerships on the SDGs.
“The campaign welcomes the setting up of a special office on the SDGs in Rivers State, and wishes to avail your office of its expertise in multi-stakeholders’ mobilisation, and facilitating strategic partnership”, the letter read.