The Lagos State Government has unveiled a strategic plan to prioritise 10 out of the 17 Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) in a bid to fast-track inclusive growth, environmental sustainability, improved quality of life, and shared prosperity across the state.
The announcement was made yesterday by the Special Adviser to the Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu on Sustainable Development Goals, Oreoluwa Finnih, during the Y2025 Ministerial Press Briefing held at the Bagauda Kaltho Press Centre, Alausa, Ikeja.
Finnih stated that the decision to focus on 10 high-impact SDGs is rooted in a comprehensive framework that assessed the goals’ impact and feasibility within the state context.
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The prioritised goals include: Goal 2 (Zero Hunger), Goal 4 (Quality Education), Goal 6 (Clean Water and Sanitation), Goal 7 (Affordable and Clean Energy), Goal 8 (Decent Work and Economic Growth), Goal 9 (Industry, Innovation and Infrastructure), Goal 12 (Responsible Consumption and Production), Goal 13 (Climate Action), Goal 16 (Peace, Justice and Strong Institutions), and Goal 17 (Partnerships for the Goals).
“This is not a policy shift but a deliberate and pragmatic approach inspired by both global and local realities,” she said.
She noted that Lagos chose to prioritise areas where it holds a comparative advantage while still integrating the remaining goals into broader development strategies.
Finnih emphasised that the approach aligns with global best practices, whereby cities tailor the 17 goals to local priorities, often informed by outcomes from Voluntary Local Reviews (VLRs).
She added that the selected goals are those with the highest multiplier effects capable of accelerating progress across other SDGs.
Highlighting the achievements of the Office of SDGs in recent years, she cited the maiden Lagos sustainability summit as a landmark effort that laid out a roadmap for inclusive development, climate resilience, sustainable infrastructure, green jobs, and livelihoods.
She also spotlighted the Lighthouse Project—a flagship initiative targeting over 650,000 residents in hard-to-reach communities across Lagos’ 20 LGAs—which has delivered critical interventions in education, healthcare, and sanitation, impacting over 800,000 people.
Furthermore, under the Advocacy for Women’s Financial Inclusion programme, and in collaboration with African HCD+, Opay, Cowrywise, NIMC, LASRRA, and LASHMA, 1,200 women in 12 underserved communities have been empowered with digital identification, health insurance, and financial literacy.
In partnership with the UNDP and the Insurance Development Forum, the Lagos Flood Risk Insurance Product has also been introduced to provide quick payouts and disaster resilience for vulnerable populations using a parametric insurance model.
Finnih said the Office is working to institutionalise the SDGs in public institutions, foster youth leadership through SDG Clubs in secondary schools, and improve civic engagement via the “SDGs and I” handbook.
Plans are also underway to replicate these clubs in all public primary schools.
She revealed that 3,400 households have so far benefitted from temporary employment under the NG-CARES programme, while 5,000 youth-led SMEs have received digital training through partnerships with the Alibaba Foundation and other innovation partners.
According to her, the launch of the Human Capital Development (HCD) 2.0 Framework marks a significant step towards systemic reform, with a focus on data-driven planning, measurable outcomes, and inter-agency collaboration.
The designation of the Lagos SDGs Office as the Southwest SDGs Accelerator and Innovation Hub by the UNDP, she noted, further affirms the state’s leadership in adopting evidence-based and people-centred strategies.
Looking ahead, the office plans to host the second Lagos Sustainability Summit, roll out the second phase of the Women’s Financial Inclusion Programme, develop the second VLR, and launch the “Lagos SDGs on Television” programme to enhance public awareness and participation.
Other upcoming initiatives include a High-Level SDGs Breakfast Meeting with the diplomatic corps and development partners, a quarterly SDG Champions Workshop, and the deployment of a real-time SDG Monitoring Dashboard across Ministries, Departments and Agencies (MDAs).
An SDGs Data Compendium will also be published to guide future planning and resource allocation.
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Finnih reiterated that partnerships remain central to the strategy, with Goal 17 serving as a cornerstone for mobilising public, private, and civil society actors to co-create scalable, innovative solutions.
With unwavering support from Sanwo-Olu, the Lagos SDGs Office is translating the state’s sustainability vision into measurable outcomes—lifting people out of poverty, advancing environmental justice, and creating inclusive prosperity.
