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| Olasupo Abideen |
In this WETi (What Expert Tells Infoprations), Olasupo Abideen, Chief
Executive Officer Opabgas and Founder, Brain Builders International, speaks
on his NGO’s exploit on localisation of
the 18 Sustainable Development Goals 2030. His Brain Builders International
successfully assembled experts for the translation of the Goals into Arabic, Yoruba,
Hausa and Igbo languages for the people at the grassroots across Nigeria.
What prompts the idea?
Half of the world is 30 and 9 in 10 young people live in developing
countries. Hence, in the next decade, the world's poorest countries will see
their population become dramatically younger which have the potential to solve
the world's largest greatest challenges and deliver the Global Goals. Our
vision is to ensure that "Leave No One Behind" mantra or the SDGs is
achieved in reality. By 2020, SDGs will
be 5 years and sincerely a whole lot of people are still in the dark on what
SDGs is all about and aim to achieve. We translate the goal to carry those in
the grassroots along towards localising and mobilising support for the Global
Goals.
How did you do it?
We partner with native language writers and speakers to translate and
acknowledged them in our designs.
Has the initiative
reached public stakeholders?
The initiative is going out en masse by January 2020. We are currently
recruiting SDGs Campus Ambassadors, Local Government Coordinators who will move
from house to houses and schools to school to teach kids, secondary school
student and Undergraduate about SDGs and how it could be used as a tool in our
national life. We are looking at hosting Business Leaders, Government Officials
and Member of the parliament in a Roundtable Discussion to x-ray the
performance of Nigeria as regards the SDGs before the end of the second quarter
in 2020. We will continue to visit key stakeholders and mobilise support for
the SDGs most especially as regards the translation.
How do you think that
could increase Nigeria's opportunity of reaching the goals?
It is expedient that we accelerate and rejuvenate efforts if we are to
achieve these Goals by 2030. We need to
set Nigeria on the path for a decade of delivery of the goals. State governments
need to take SDGs seriously and integrate it into their state plan. Beyond
appointing SA on SDGs, a Ministry could be created from Planning, Economy and
Budget Department to oversee SDGs. The Ministry will be working on chronicling
stories, getting data, mapping location and reporting implementation. SDGs should be integrated into our Curriculum. I
just heard that the Minister of Education has approved SDGs to be taught in
primary schools, we can take it a bit further by extending to secondary and
tertiary institutions.
How would you describe
current partnerships between governments and NGOs on the realisation of the
Goals?
Political will is needed for the Global Goals to be achieved. The
Nigerian government is just doing badly in this regard, but the government has
to take it to the grassroots as well. Greater sustainability can help business
overcome global burdens to grow and deliver trillions in market value. Hence,
business leaders should capture their share of the prize and set the world on
the path to a sustainable, inclusive economy. We are open to partnership with
the government and other stakeholders to achieve this. Government need to
partner with grassroot organisation to achieve the goal by 2030.
Having translated the Goals
into local languages, which one do you believe would be dear to the people at
the middle and bottom of the pyramid?
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