Stakeholders in the Humanitarian space have called for deliberate efforts and collaboration to meet the fast approaching deadline for the achievements of the Sustainable Development Goals, SDGs 2030.
Minister for Humanitarian Affairs and Poverty Reduction, Dr. Bernard Doro said this at the inaugural assembly and induction ceremony of SDGs advocates organised by Community Impact Affinity, in Abuja Nigeria.
Represented by his Technical Adviser on Poverty Reduction, Mr. Augustine Ajijelek, Dr. Doro stated that the Ministry’s commitment to SDG 1 (No Poverty) and to the broader humanitarian architecture of Nigeria remain absolute, hence the critical role of SDG Advocates, not only in speeches or slogans, but impact.
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“It’s strengthening institutions so they deliver with speed, equity, and accountability. It is bridging the gap between policy and people. It is ensuring that no Nigerian is left behind,” Doro stated.
He said Nigeria continues to confront the complex, intersecting challenges of multidimensional poverty, humanitarian crises, climate vulnerability, and the lingering scars of conflict and displacement.
According to the Minister, “Far too many of our citizens especially women, children, and youth still grapple with food insecurity, limited access to basic services, and the trauma of gender-based violence. Institutions tasked with delivering hope sometimes struggle under the weight of coordination gaps, resource constraints, and the sheer scale of need.
“Together, we shall prove that when government, transnational NGOs like CIA, and passionate SDG Advocates align, progress is not only possible but practically unstoppable”.
Integrated Approach
He said the Nigerian Government through the Ministry is moving beyond fragmented interventions to a bold, integrated approach under its initiative the ‘One Humanitarian, One Poverty Response System’ ,OHOPRS, the cornerstone of transformation.
“Through OHOPRS, we are building a system where a displaced mother in the North-East receives not just emergency food today, but skills training and livelihood support tomorrow; where a youth in the South-West is linked instantly to digital empowerment opportunities; and where civil-military collaboration is embedded in every response to foster lasting peace.
This is humanity at the core institutions strengthened not for their own sake, but for the sustainable community impact they must deliver,” the Minister explained.
Dr. Doro therefore urged the SDG advocates to Own the local context, champion institutional collaboration by breaking down silos and demanding and delivering measurable results.
Delebrate Steps
For its part, the Nigeria Immigration Service, NIS said under the current administration, it’s taking deliberate steps to make the Service a model institution by building capacity for gender-responsive service delivery and digitising to reduce human contact and corruption at the borders and across its formations.
Represented by the Assistant Comptroller General, Migration Azuka-Mimi Halliday, the Comptroller General, Kemi Nandap explained that those are institutional investments that produce better officers, better service, and stronger communities.
She noted that Security without humanity creates fear, but security with humanity builds trust and legitimacy.
According to her, too often, Border Governance is seen only through the lens of security and control, but real security is Human Security noting that real governance is people-centered and real development is measured by how the institutions touch lives in the community.
She further noted that Inter-agency collaboration is not courtesy, it is strategy noting that institutions must connect policy to people.
“Every Passport we issue, every border we manage, every migrant we protect is an act of institutional responsibility with direct bearing on the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals,” she stressed.
The Founder, Community Impact Affinity, Mr. Wilson Babangida said the driving force is understanding that no single project will succeed when it operates in silos.
He said, “CIA, being community centric is aligning its goals with that of the Humanitarian Ministry and other stakeholders to ensure that the most vulnerable population is reached.
“We have bases across the communities and we can understand the types of programmes that can reduce this poverty, if we cannot eradicate it”
Responding to questions on funding challenges, Babangida said CIA has not received any official funding
He noted that its programmes have been sustained by volunteerism in kind and in cash from people who want to be part of what CIA does without any expectations.
CIA champions 8 out of the 17 United Nations Sustainable Development Goals.
The theme for the event is: “Humanity at the Core: Strengthening Institutions for Sustainable Community Impact.”