The 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development as a Tool for Disaster Risk Reduction and Resilience in Nigeria

Background to the Study

            Disaster is a sudden event such as flood, storm or accident which causes great damage or suffering (UNESCO, 2017). A disaster describes a situation where the occurrence of abnormal infrequent events that has impact on vulnerable communities, causing substantial damage, disruption and possible causalities and leaving the affected communities unable to function normally without external assistance (Kellogg, 2017). Otero and Marti (1995) define disaster again, as emergency caused by natural hazards or human-induced actions and resulting in a significant change in circumstances over relatively short period of time. Typical examples are death, displacement, diseases, loss of crops, damage to physical and service infrastructure, depletion of natural and social capitals etc. A broad definition of disasters includes the fact that they are dramatic, sudden, unscheduled events that are often accompanied by large losses of human lives, suffering and affliction to a society or significant part of it and a temporary breakdown of prevailing lifelines and systems. Such events cause considerable material damages and interrupt normal functioning of an economy and of society in general (FIrzli, 2018).

            Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) is the successor to the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) and is widely known as Agenda 2030, with reference to the end year by which the SDGs should have been attained globally (Caballero, 2016). The MDGs, while it lasted was a focal point of the world's developmental agenda and brought about novel and innovative partnerships and considerable development to both developing and developed countries. The 17 goals, also referred to as global goals are further broken down into 169 specific targets which fundamentally lean on three crucial domains of environment, economy and society. Each of the goals has a stake in one of these domains with the ultimate goal of ensuring inclusive development for everyone in every city of the world through the mitigation and subsequent eradication of poverty, reduction of hunger and food waste, creation of enabling environments for growth and development, protection of the planet and so on (Kellogg, 2017).

            Education is key to engendering inclusivity and a core goal for being ahead of the curve on a lot of changes. It cannot be denied that the entry point to conversations on the SDGs is goal 4; quality education. It is through the actualization of quality education that poverty can be eradicated and then zero hunger can be achieved. The greatest challenge to quality education in achieving sustainable development lies in the conflict between the federal, state and local governments in the management of education at these different levels. The problems range from lack of adequate funding of the sector to politicization of the system, indiscipline to general instability of the sector (Firzli, 2016). According to UNDP (2016), 26% of national budgets are to be allocated to education in each country but it is cannot be said that this is the case in Nigeria and has not been so for many years now. The onus is on the government to revitalize the educational system in the country and provide sustainable funding for the educational sector to achieve the vision of quality education for all by 2030.

            The role of education (with SDGs enlightenment as its central focus) is central to achieving the SDGs. just as Health Education is central to Primary Health Care. The United Nations' Educational and Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) recognizes that education is a major key to sustainable development with its statement “Sustainable development cannot be achieved by technological solutions, political regulation or financial instruments alone. We need to change the way we think and act (UNESCO, 2017). This requires quality education and learning for sustainable development at all levels and in all social contexts”. Climate change and how human activities lead up to the situation where environmental degradation causes an inability of the environment to sustain life is another area intended to be tackled by the SDGs. It is time to begin to educate people on the importance of sustainable use of nature’s resources in a way that these resources are not used up faster than they can be replenished (Connolly, Doyle and Dwyer, 2018).

            The adoption of 'Transforming Our World: The 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development’ represents the culmination of efforts to develop a successor to the Millennium Development Goals. It is a transformative plan of action for all countries and all stakeholders to implement. It sets poverty eradication as an overarching aim and has, at its core, the integration of the economic, social and environmental dimensions of sustainable development. The document also reinforces the universal and collaborative nature of the process, and pledges that no one will be left behind. The 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development is being hailed as a positive and ambitious milestone for all regions and stakeholders. The UN Secretary-General describes the outcome as a “universal, transformative and integrated development agenda”. The 17 Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) and 169 global targets sets out areas to advance sustainable development.