The National Development Planning Commission (NDPC), in collaboration with the Abibiman Foundation and the African Diaspora Chamber of Commerce (ADCC), has launched the Nkabom for Peace and Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) Programme.

The four-year pilot programme, to run between 2021 and 2024, is focusing on Ghana, Nigeria and Senegal and involves Africa's Diaspora and the top 20 developed countries of the world.

The programme, which is on the theme: "Africa and its Diaspora; Our History, our Present and Our Future," seeks to use the SDGs and the African Union's Agenda 2063 (AU Agenda 2063) as development platforms and a bridge that would link the history, present and future of the descendants of Africa as a pathway to unify Africa and its Diaspora.

Before the launch of the Nkabom for Peace and SDGs Programme in Accra, a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) was signed between Dr Felix Addo-Yobo, Director, Development Policy Division, NDPC, and Mr Kwabena Okai Ofosuhene, Founder/Executive Chairman of Abibiman Foundation and Madam Patricia McChants, Founder/Chairman.

Dr Addo-Yobo said the Commission found two key components of the Nkabom initiative, namely awareness creation on the SDGs and mobilising private sector investment for SDGs related projects very useful to Ghana's development context.

"For Ghana, the SDGs and Agenda 2063 are being implemented through the decentralised planning system with various sectors and local authorities playing lead roles.

"Ghana has also adopted a 'whole of society' approach with the participation of the private sector, civil society organisations, traditional authorities, faith-based organisations and academia among others," he said.

Dr Addo-Yobo said both the SDGs and Agenda 2063 were integrated into the national and sub-national planning and budgeting process and that "...there is no separate plan or budget for the SDGs. Instead implementing the sector and district plans contribute towards achieving the SDGs. Similarly, budgetary allocations to the sectors and local authorities feed into SDG-related initiatives."

He noted that with 10 years left for achieving the SDGs, it was imperative to deepen awareness and mobilise critical public support for achieving the SDGs.

That, he said, would engender the active participation of the public in the implementation of the SDGs, as well as demand accountability from duty bearers.

"We, therefore, need to find innovative and effective ways of getting the message of the SDGs to all corners of the country and help people find ways to contribute to the global agenda. We must make sure that indeed, no one is left behind," he said.

Dr Addo-Yobo said in recognition of the important role of private sector financing, the government advocates for enhanced public-private partnerships to deal with financing gaps in the implementation of the SDGs.

He said Ghana would next month participate in the 2021 SDG Investment Fair, which would be held virtually.

The Fair would facilitate direct informal interaction among representatives of governments of developing countries, the private sector and financial intermediaries with a view of accelerating the mobilisation of investment for the SDGs.

He said Agenda 2030 called for increased partnerships between stakeholders, including government, private sector, academia, civil society organisations and research institutions to ensure that the country made the right choices to enhance the quality of life for the people.

Dr Addo-Yobo said the Nkabom initiative was one of such initiatives, and that the Commission was optimistic that it would contribute significantly to the economic transformation of the African Continent and African diaspora.

"We, therefore, call on all to embrace and support the Nkabom initiative and together we can create a better economy and society for the present and future generations.

Mr Ofosuhene said the SDGs provided a very good medium-term development strategy for the selected countries (Ghana, Nigeria and Senegal) to build solid development foundations upon which the AU Agenda 2063 strategy would provide the long-term development agenda.