Localization of the MDGs: Nigeria s Experience

1. Localization of the MDGs: Nigeria�s Experience Abuja, 8 May 2009

2. 2 Content Background Stepping down MDG related Activities Key Challenges in Localizing the MDGs Way Forward

3. 3 Background Following the Millennium Declaration in 2000, Nigeria has demonstrated its commitment through a number of initiatives. A Poverty Reduction Strategy (NEEDS) was developed; MTEF and MTSS were developed with a target of 57 percent of total capital spending earmarked for MDGs related sectors; A Presidential Committee on the MDGs was set up in 2005 with the OSSAP serving as the secretariat. Production of MDG National Reports for 2004, 2005, 2006 and the MDGs Mid Point Assessment in 2008.

4. 4 Background (ctd) An MDG awareness campaign was carried out in 2005 with participation from a broad spectrum of society including schoolchildren, out-of-school youth, and grass-roots women Annual allocation of about $1 billion from the debt relief gains to MDGs related sectors; Conditional grants Scheme (CGS) to States was initiated; A Generic Macroeconomic Framework for policy and evidence based MDGs-development planning; The MDG Needs Assessment and its financing strategy.

5. 5 Stepping down MDGs related activities to the States Millennium Village Project (MVP) with a cluster of 7 village in Ikaram/Ibaran in Ondo state (20,000 beneficiaries) and another in Pampaida, kaduna state (5, 0000 beneficiaries ); States� MDG Report; MDG Needs Assessment and Costing.

6. 6 States� MDG Report Process Description of the Process A steering committee to ensure ownership comprising State Planning, State MDG Office, local government officials, CSOs and State Statistical Agency; Constitution of thematic sub-committees Review and consultation process; Launch and dissemination of the MDG Report; Broader dialogue to sustain public awareness and stimulate discussions through media awards, designated MDGs days and essay competitions, at schools, colleges and local governments.

7. 7 States� MDG Report Process Key Challenges Inclusion: Prevailing cultural norms; Consistent, credible, and coherence data generation and management at the state level constitute the major bottleneck; Capacities and skills gaps to track and monitor progress; Political disturbances that resulted from local governments elections and the related transitional processes; MDG report is seen as a political scorecard and the related reluctance to reflect the true picture.

8. 8 States� MDG Report Process Lessons learned Increasing local awareness: more efforts are needed to galvanize wider participation of marginalized groups like youths, women, people living with HIV/AIDS and commercial sex workers Building local capacity: Assistance to States in preparing their MDG reports provided an avenue for capacity building for data generation and management as well as development planning. Increasing ownership: Participation of stakeholders and grassroots groups key to the process is likely to result in increased demand for accountability from government. �

9. 9 States� MDG Report Process Lessons learned Linking local and national development efforts: State MDG reports process can be used for refocusing local planning around poverty reduction and achieving the MDGs by mainstreaming MDGs in State Economic Empowerment and Development Strategies (SEEDS) and Local Economic Empowerment and Development Strategies (LEEDS); Better Synchronizing of activities.

10. 10 Key Challenges in Localizing the MDGs Inadequate coordination among the various tiers of governments The unavailability of data to track progress and for proper MDG-based planning, decision-making, and resource allocation; Weak budgetary preparation and implementation systems as well as weak budget accounting and reporting systems; Inefficiency in revenue mobilization, tax administration and public expenditure management; Capacities skills and institutional gap.

11. 11 Key Challenges in Localizing the MDGs Insufficient Alignment of states� sector plans (SEEDS) and budgets with national priorities (NEEDS) for MDGs achievement; Weak coherence between planning and budgeting processes in States/LGs Low �Absorptive Capacity� Relative low level of capital budget implementation result in low social service delivery.

12. 12 Way Forward Capacity building of the Bureau of Statistics in proper data generation and management. Track progress towards the achievement of the MDGs in 36 States+ the FCT. Conduct the MDGs Needs Assessment in 6 pilot states with the aim of scaling up to all the states. Scaling up the Conditional Grants Scheme (CGS) to the states and Local Government.

13. 13 Way Forward Implementation of an economic governance programme which aims at: Strengthening Capacity in the National Planning Commission and the Budget office to improve the planning process, fiscal policy coordination and management with a view to aligning national priorities with the MDGs; Enhancing capacity for drafting and implementation of Fiscal Responsibility Legislation (FRL) and public procurement Legislation (PPL); Enhancing capacity at the Debt Management Office for the construction and use of debt sustainability tools/templates.

14. 14 THANK YOU