International NGOs Partner to Coordinate, Review SDGs Realisation in Africa

Esther Oluku 

Two international not for profit organisation, J.B Dondolo and ACADEC Canada, have partnered to coordinate and review the realisation of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDG) in Africa through the COPESA SDGs 2030 Initiative.

The announcement was made at an hybrid press conference which held physically in Lagos to unveil the blueprint for the six-year action plan.

The COPESA SDGs 2030 Initiative is a project sponsored by global partners aimed at bringing together stakeholders in the private and public sectors to implement policies towards the eradication of poverty and promotion of well-being for vulnerable persons across the African continent. 

The focus areas include, survival of mothers and children, widows, individuals with disabilities and people in undeserved communities through community engagement, household sensitisation sessions, partnerships, collaboration and dialogue with the aim of stimulating grassroot development and localisation of SDGs.

While J.B Dondolo would leverage technology to provide access to clean water, ACADEC Canada would work around making global citizens of Africans around the world.

The CEO, J.B Dondolo, Ms. Lumbie Mlambo, noted that the partnership model brings together global sustainable development stakeholders, non-profits, governments, philanthropists, corporate firms, and individuals dedicated to helping mothers, children, and individuals with disabilities in Africa.

On his part, the Executive Director, ACADEC CANADA, Mr. Stephen AKINBILE who was represented by SDG Advocate, Mr. Olufemi Oladejo, speaking with journalists said: “COPESA is a project and we have two international NGOs that is coordinating the COPESA SDG 2030 initiative. With this announcement, the project is releasing it’s six-year blueprint for global sponsorship. 

“We are hosting the global Congress from November 1-14 in 12 countries in Africa. J.B Dondolo Incorporated Africa and ACADEC Canada has from this moment taken over the COPESA 2030 SDG Initiative as the global reviewers, the Directors, Signatories and Coordinators. 

“NGOs in African countries will be selected to work with them so that we can implement visible projects that will be beneficial to all category of citizens within the continent.”

While emphasising the need to deepen partnership and collaboration, an alumnus of the Tony Elumelu Foundation, Mr. Clinton Ugoh, noted that to attract global funding, entrepreneurs as well as founders of NGOs must leverage on professional expertise in packaging their proposals for global funding.

He averred that the need to support women entrepreneurs who make up a huge number of COPESA’s selected NGOs in Nigeria, will expose them to better opportunities.

He said, “So some of these women have been given ideas and skills but how do they finance it? They can have that opportunity through applications to global platforms.

“If an opportunity arises from a platforms like the Tony Elumelu Foundation which give opportunity to multiple applications for businesses, we can work with them to apply for funding for that business idea.”