The United Nations has called on African governments, development institutions and the private sector to dramatically scale up investments in people and strengthen strategic partnerships to reverse the continent’s slow progress towards achieving the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) before the 2030 deadline.
The appeal was made on Saturday at the Africa Social Impact Summit 2026 in Lagos, where the UN warned that Africa faces an increasingly difficult development landscape marked by economic headwinds, shrinking international aid, climate shocks and persistent conflicts.
Speaking on behalf of the United Nations Resident and Humanitarian Coordinator a.i. in Nigeria, Ms. Wafaa Saeed, the United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA) Representative in Nigeria, Ms. Muriel Mafico, said the continent must urgently shift its focus towards investing in its people if it hopes to unlock sustainable economic growth.
“The wealth of a nation is not measured by what it extracts from the ground. It is measured by what it unlocks in its people,” Mafico declared, stressing that development financing should ultimately be about creating opportunities for citizens rather than merely balancing budgets.
Addressing government officials, development partners, civil society organisations and business leaders, she argued that every child deserves quality education, every young person should have access to decent employment, every woman should be empowered to fulfil her potential, and communities must be equipped to withstand future economic and climate-related shocks.
She painted a sobering picture of global development, noting that only 36 per cent of the SDG targets are currently on track or making moderate progress. According to her, declining official development assistance, mounting debt burdens and a widening financing gap for developing countries are threatening efforts to meet the 2030 Agenda.
Despite the setbacks, Mafico maintained that Africa possesses the human and economic potential to change its development trajectory.
With less than five years remaining to meet the SDGs, she urged African countries to embrace greater urgency, ambition and collective action, insisting that sustainable development cannot be imported.
“No country can outsource its development. No nation can import resilience,” she said, calling on governments to strengthen domestic leadership, promote innovation and build partnerships that reinforce national priorities.
Turning to Nigeria, Mafico described the country’s youthful population as one of its greatest strategic assets, saying deliberate investment in education, innovation, entrepreneurship and skills development could transform the country into a global centre for inclusive growth.
She warned that neglecting investments in young people and women would deepen inequality and limit the country’s future economic prospects.
The UN official also advocated a new model of development financing anchored on stronger domestic resource mobilisation, increased private sector investment, technological innovation and expanded support for entrepreneurs.
She emphasised that partnerships should be driven by measurable impact rather than rhetoric, with people remaining at the centre of every development initiative.
Highlighting the UN’s ongoing collaboration with Nigerian authorities and other stakeholders, Mafico said the organisation is supporting reforms in institutional capacity, social protection, renewable energy, digital innovation, food systems, education and programmes aimed at expanding opportunities for women and young people.
She urged participants at the summit to ensure that the gathering delivers tangible outcomes through stronger partnerships, increased investments and coordinated action capable of accelerating sustainable development across Africa.
Michael Olugbode
