Hon Saudatu Sani MP Chair of Network African Parliamentarians on MDGs

1. Hon SaudatuSani MP Chair of Network African Parliamentarians on MDGs

2. Nigerian and the MDGs • In 2005, Nigeria negotiated an $18bn in debt-relief from the Paris Club • Putting improvement in people’s livelihoods at the heart of the development agenda by focusing on the MDGs • Nigeria Federal Government dedicated all of it’s Debt Relief Gains (DRG) to the attainment of the MDGs by focusing on strategic investments that address Nigeria’s poor development indices • The Nigerian Parliament has been very supportive to the Government Policy on MDGs

3. The Nigerian Status contd. • A Standing Parliamentary Committee on MDGs in place since 2007 to appropriate funds, • track budgetary spending on MDGs projects/programs • oversight functions on MDG projects/programs • Increased budgetary allocation to, particularly Health related MDGs. • Annual MDGs (DRG) budget stands at 110 Billion Naira ($1bn) since 2006 • The Health sector accounts for approximately $1 bn 2006-2009 • A customized strategy was adopted for benefiting communities to own projects executed through the Conditional Grants Scheme (CGS)

4. Parliamentary input to achievement of MDGs in Nigeria • Increased funding of MDGs through annual budget process • Building on MDG costing to identify funding gaps • Unprecedented oversight of MDG spending and impact • Global partnerships- African Network of Parliamentarians • Preparation of Parliamentary MDG Countdown Strategy 2010-2015

5. The DRG in the Health Sector- 2009 2009 investment - N15,900,000,000 Immunization of 60 million children under national immunization polio days – 90% reduction in number of children paralyzed by poliomyelitis illness Routine Immunization of 30 million children, 31million pregnant women and 36 million women of children age with TT. Recruitment of 2,448 midwives deployed to 672 facilities with full complement of mama kits and midwifery kits 40 Fully equipped and operational blood banks in 6 geo-political zones Procurement of 1,000 midwifery kits, and other consumables (surgical gloves, thermometers etc.) Procurement of 1.2 million packs of ARVs, 1.8 million other drugs Operationalizing Local Government System for scaling up support to national centre for health data Community Health Insurance provided for 1,417,172 individuals in 12 states

6. MDGs Costing • A three-year partnership (2006-08) with key MDAs and UNDP to establish cost and funding requirements for the achievement of the MDGs • Total cumulative investments of $248bn are needed between 2007 and 2015 • Given existing resources, an average funding gap of around $6bn per year is predicted to remain: • Scaling-up options include domestic resource mobilization, Internally-generated revenue by States and Local Governments, and creating the enabling environment for sustained Foreign Direct Investment • Alternative strategies for public-private partnerships to increase infrastructure investment • Coordinating development partner interventions to improve the effectiveness of aid

7. MDGs Costing- Health • Cumulative total cost of $34.94 billion needed from 2007-2015 to achieve Health goals • Broken into Capital Expenditure of $9.11bn • Recurrent expenditure of $29.72

8. MDGs In Africa: A mixed picture • A number of African countries have achieved major successes in improving child health, expanding access to clean water, strengthening control of malaria, tuberculosis and neglected tropical diseases, and providing increased access to HIV treatment, • In March this year, A network of African Parliamentarians on MDGs was launched in Nigeria with a view to: • Project a common agenda for African countries, which will be the main focus of respective national parliaments, and which will also be presented during the September meeting of the United Nations; • Propose a roadmap for African parliamentarians to proactively engage with all 2010 MDGs review process and beyond; • Identify moments and actions for the Legislatures to accelerate urgent actions towards the MDGs, using effective national development strategies of respective countries; • Share best practices and progress on the state of MDGs advocacy in national parliaments and regional Economic Communities; and • Adopt measures to ensure that African Parliaments become the African Voice in the struggle to end poverty in our continent

9. Lessons learnt • National ownership of development strategies is key to success. Successful countries pursued pragmatic policy mixes, with enhanced domestic capacities. • International cooperation should more strongly support national development strategies and domestic capacity-building efforts. • Economic growth is necessary but not sufficient for progress. The growth process must be inclusive and equitable to maximize poverty reduction and progress on other MDGs. • Hard-earned gains can be reversed by economic and other shocks. Hence, countries need forward looking macroeconomic policies to support broad-based stable growth. • Adequate, consistent and predictable financial support, as well as a coherent and predictable policy environment, both at national and international levels.

10. Challenges • Lack of political will at the initial take-off of MDG programmes affect adequate resource allocation • Environmental hazards caused by climate change; • Global economic crisis have affected Africa’s economies and consistent ODA’s to poor sub-saharan Africa • Inadequate awareness by some African countries (governments and parliaments) on the MDGs has hampered close collaboration of the two arms of government towards attaining the specific targets of the health MDGs

11. African expectation • Much as the African countries have been making substantial progress towards achieving the MDGs, there is an urgent need to Come together with a renewed commitment to: • build on our achievements so far, • bridge the gaps identified, • deliver on our shared responsibility to build a better world for generations to come • Endorse an accountability framework that consolidates global aid commitments, linking them to results with timelines, and established monitoring and enforcement mechanisms. • Lack of adequate and predictable international financing has been an important constraint. There is therefore an urgent need to broaden and strengthen partnerships to ensure supportive international frameworks for debt relief, trade liberalization and sustained long-term human progress.

12. African expectations • The G8 countries should endeavor to fulfill their financial commitments to the developing countries as a means of fast tracking the attainment of the MDGs by African countries; • A holistic approach to Health MDGs should be the concern of all African countries. • The need to build strategic partnerships amongst African countries with a view to enhancing Africa's visibility in development platforms

13. Conclusion • Current Impetus – if sustained and accelerated – can achieve major progress on poverty, education, water, maternal health and child health • But this is contingent on all 3 tiers of Government doing the following: • Increased investing in Infrastructure • Targeted investments in Human Resources for improved public service delivery • Demonstrating accountability for specific deliverables • Changing mindsets, creating synergies and delivering on our national agenda • International Development Partners meeting their commitments (Abuja Declaration, Accra, G8 etc.)

14. For the MDG’s to be achieved, the north and south must work in partnership!!!