How Nigeria’s Third Voluntary National Review On SDGs Fared At UN

Nigeria has presented its Third Voluntary National Review (VNR) at the 2025 United Nations High-Level Political Forum (HLPF) on Sustainable Development as part of its ongoing commitment to the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development and the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).

This was disclosed in a statement issued on Friday by Desmond Utomwen, special assistant on media, publicity and Strategic Communication to the senior special assistant to the President (SSAP) on SDGs, Princess Adejoke Orelope-Adefulire.

Presenting Nigeria’s Review at the HLPF in New York, the Head of the country’s delegation to the High-Level event, Orelope –Adefulire reaffirmed that the Government and people of Nigeria remain resolute in their pursuit of the SDGs, despite global and domestic challenges.

The 2025 VNR, the third since Nigeria began voluntary reporting in 2017, showcases the country’s continued emphasis on accountability, data-driven policymaking, and inclusive development. Building on the momentum of previous reviews, the latest report underscores a whole-of-government and whole-of-society approach, involving consultations across the six geopolitical zones, along with specialised engagements with youth, children, and persons with disabilities.

The Review noted that Nigeria has made notable progress in strengthening institutional frameworks for SDGs implementation. Key developments include the alignment of the National Statistical System with the SDGs; implementation of the Integrated National Financing Framework (INFF); launch of the Inclusive Data Charter Action Plan; and country-led evaluations of priority SDGs.

Anchored in Nigeria’s strategic development plans; including the Economic Recovery and Growth Plan (2017–2020), the Economic Sustainability Plan (2020), and the current National Development Plan (2021–2025), the VNR aligns with national priorities to spur broad-based, inclusive, and resilient economic transformation.

The 2025 Review specifically focuses on five priority SDGs. These are SDG 3 (Good Health and Well-being), SDG 5 (Gender Equality), SDG 8 (Decent Work and Economic Growth), SDG 14 (Life Below Water), and SDG 17 (Partnerships for the Goals).

The report provides a candid analysis of Nigeria’s progress across 52 key SDG performance indicators. Results are mixed: 34.6 per cent showed improvement, 30.8% stagnated, and 34.6 per cent regressed. Fiscal constraints remain a concern, with government revenue accounting for just 9.6 per cent of GDP in 2023, despite modest gains in the tax-to-GDP ratio and steady diaspora remittances.

The report also highlights how overlapping global crises, including the COVID-19 pandemic, climate change, and geopolitical tensions have severely disrupted development progress. The resulting socio-economic shocks triggered economic contractions, supply chain disruptions, and widened inequalities across developing nations.

Looking ahead, Nigeria is prioritising a series of targeted reforms and strategic investments, with a strong emphasis on enhancing the quality and disaggregation of national data, scaling up implementation of the Inclusive Data Charter Action Plan, and designing the next Medium-Term National Development Plan (2026–2030) with a transformative, inclusive, and climate-resilient focus.

The presentation reaffirms Nigeria’s readiness to collaborate with global partners, leverage innovation, and deepen multisectoral coordination to accelerate progress as the world enters the final five-year stretch towards the 2030 deadline, the statement added.