By Onilede Titi Faith
The Director of the Global Affairs and Sustainable Development Institute, Osun State University, Prof. John Agbonifo, has warned that Nigeria risks failing in the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), if it continues with a fragmented approach.
Speaking at the 2025 International Sustainable Development Dialogue held at the university, themed “Sustainable Development in the Age of Crises: Humanities, Science and a More Equitable World,” Agbonifo said the SDGs were designed for a more stable era and are increasingly ill-suited to today’s realities.
He stressed that goals such as poverty eradication, gender equality, and access to justice must be pursued in an integrated way.
“The sciences and humanities must collaborate. Solutions must be interdisciplinary, inclusive, and rooted in compassion. Leave no one and no discipline behind,” he urged.
Other experts echoed the call. Dr. Feng Mao of the University of Warwick condemned “helicopter research” in Africa and pressed for locally driven, co-created solutions.
Prof. Mohammed Ladan, former DG of the Nigerian Institute of Advanced Legal Studies, described Africa’s SDG progress as “deeply worrying,” citing data that only 35 per cent of targets are on track, while energy-related goals have regressed by 80 per cent since 2020.
He noted that Africa now accounts for nine per cent of the world’s poor, worsened by COVID-19 and regional conflicts.
The experts concluded that Africa’s success on the SDGs depends on stronger partnerships, cross-disciplinary collaboration, and strategies rooted in local realities.
