By ABUBAKAR YUSUF.
Princess Adejoke Orelope-Adefulire is a princess of Lagos and former deputy governor, Lagos state. Before then, he held many public offices from the local , state and now at the national level .
Born on September 29 , 1959, as a child of destiny towards marking Nigerian ‘Independent,’ she was born a year before the highly celebrated Nigeria’s independent in 1960, and will be 63 on Thursday, September 29, 2022 . She had contributed greatly to the development of Nigeria.
Princess Adejoke Orelope-Adefulire was appointed in 2016 as the pioneer SSA-SDGs by Nigeria’s President, Muhammadu Buhari after the declaration of the UN General Assembly that transmuted the MDGs to SDGs at the 70th General Assembly session in New York, United States in 2015.
The UN General Assembly declaration was to further drive the new global agenda towards fruition, and also it’s efforts towards achieving it’s ‘Decade of Action’ of 2020-2030 agenda, after the positive assessment of the 17 goals at the 75th session in 2020.
Seven years down the line after the UN General Assembly declaration in 2015, six years of her appointment in 2016, the 17 goals of SDGs was vigorously pursued with seamless achievements, that had resulted in not only identified, articulated, but resolved socio-economic crises and development of ordinary Nigerians, through provisions of basic social amenities,needed assistance inconjunction with , private sector, CSO’s along with sub-national level.
Conscious of the global assignment, and confidence reposed on her by Nigeria’s President that led to her appointment, and the need for smooth and seamless transition from MDGs to SDGs, Mrs Adefulire armed with her wealth of experiences from both public, private and instincts to resolve humanitarian crises kicked the ground running.
Her technocratic and bureaucratic ideals and ideas had led her and achieved greatly outside the shores of the 17 goals of SDGs, along with other emergencies in Health, Education, Empowerment and Human capital development, that formed the crux of the united nations security council’s template, into convening SDGs as one of its cardinal focus and objectives in its yearly program.
No doubt , stakeholders, leaders both nationally and internationally had showered accolades on the leadership of SDGs that had become a recurring decimal from the UN leadership, UNDP, European Union EU , among many others foreign bodies, the Private Sector Advisory Group PSAG, Civil Society Organizations CSO’s, who were not only the watchdogs, but major contributors to the success of the global program, domesticated across the country.
With strong commitment to ressolving myriad of problems bedeviling human activities in Nigeria, she tackled headlong the program of ‘Decade of Action’ 2020-2030 convened by UN General Assembly in 2020 and had created an enabling environment into realising the set objectives by 2030, not minding the global and colossal damages done by the world ravaged pandemic of COVID and multiple impacts of economic downturn, not only in Nigeria, amidst lingering consequences spreading to fifth wave, and the Delta variant, but across the globe.
Unperturbed by many months of lockdowns of businesses and humanitarian crises across the world, the agency through a well coordinated leadership in Nigeria had provisioned and provided many precautionary and palliative measures that mitigated against the damn effects of COVID.
Hence , when countries were filled with lamentations, with highly developed countries not left out, developing countries like Nigeria was busy with the deployment of counter measures through SDGs that reduced to the barest minimum the harsh effects of the global health meltdown, greatly owing to COVID and economic recession, with a well thought out SDGs model replicated at sub- national level.
Within three years, aside citing and commissioning projects in the last six years across the country, SDGs had launched four major of it’s programs ranging from National Statistical System NSS in collaboration with NBS to track projects, rendered stewardship on Conditional Grant Scheme CGS in 16 states including FCT on the provision of socioeconomic activities, launched the independent evaluation reports on Goal 3, 4, Health and wellbeing, Quality Education for all, as well as the recently launched Integrated National Financing Framework held in New York, United States of America.
The grand launch of the all important programs both at home and in the diaspora witnessed by state governors, cabinet ministers, the private sector, foreign envoys, UNDP, EU, CSO’s and coordinated by Nigeria’s Vice President, Yemi Osinbanjo and recently by Nigeria’s President, Muhammadu Buhari in New York, United States at the 77th UNGA showed the height of not only achievements and progress by managers of SDGs in the last six years in Nigeria, but imbued transparency and accountability in all strata of it’s programs.
SSA-SDGs to Nigeria’s President had turned SDGs into a household name with it’s genuine domesticated policies across all strata of the country, and synergy with CSO’s, PSAG and international partners.
The launch of Integrated National Financing Framework INFF by Nigerian leader, before the world leaders and their representatives was a major milestone in its efforts towards achieving SDGs programs in Nigeria, with adequate financial provisions, for it’s programs and realising the ‘Decade of Action ‘ 2020-2030’. agenda.
This was coming at a time when countries are either battling with post COVID emergencies or world economic recession, SDGs commitment towards ressolving social disequilibrium under Princess Adejoke Orelope-Adefulire remained unwavering in Nigeria.
The tireless and workaholic leadership under SSA SDGs to Nigeria’s President, never relented on the successes recorded being the first to launch NSS, CGS, and independent evaluation reports on Goals 3, 4, but inundated herself and her team that participated fully in the 2022, 77th UNGA, which started from Monday the 12th September, to 27th, Monday, September, 2022, few days to her birthday after two weeks long global program.
This alone was a display of a rare leadership qualities that played down pleasure against hard work, to ensure a robust leadership and followership.
Fresh from over two weeks official engagements, Princess Adejoke Orelope-Adefulire is 63 years today, Thursday , September 29, 2022 two days after the formal end of the 77th UN General Assembly held in New York, United States of America.
Her remarkable achievements, dedication to duty, wealth of experience had placed her in a vantage positions both now and in the nearest future having distinguished herself particularly in the public service.
As you mark your additional year today , I prayed for more opportunities to render more services to the betterment and development of Nigeria.
Happy Birthday Your Excellency, Princess Adejoke Orelope-Adefulire,Wishing you many more prosperous years ahead. Congratulations.
