Bawumia unveils funds, says Ghana must rank 1st to achieve 17 SDGs in Africa

Ghana’s Vice President Mahamudu Bawumia has revealed that the country should work hard to earn the title of being the first African nation to have achieved all 17 Sustainable Development Goals by 2030 set by the United Nations General Assembly.

Mahamudu Bawumia has recently unveiled two funds geared towards achieving the UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) at the Jubilee House in Ghana’s capital, Accra. He unveiled the funds on behalf of President Nana Akufo-Addo at an event attended by over 40 CEOs. These CEOs were from the private sector ranging from those in banking and finance, industry, oil and gas, telecommunications and pharmaceuticals.

“We are the first in Sub Saharan African country to achieve independence, the first Sub Saharan African country to achieve MDG goal one (1) of halving extreme poverty, the first country in WHO Africa Region to eliminate trachoma, and now we are the first country in Africa where the private sector is leading the establishment of an SDG Delivery Fund and a Green Fund to support achievement of the SDGs,” he said.

The successful implementation of the SDGs is expected to enable the Ghanaians to enjoy good health, quality education, decent work, peace and justice, “This is not idealism but aspirations that are achievable,” Bawumia added. He summoned the CEOs to ‘Action’ to secure the buy-in of the broader private sector into the two transformational initiatives (the SDGs Delivery Fund and the Green Fund) that have been unveiled. “His Excellency the President is fully convinced that these two innovative funds could be a game-changer in our quest to achieve the SDGs” he cited.

After 60 years of independence and 25 years of stable democracy, according to the Vice Present, it was unacceptable that the Ghanaians continued to suffer extreme forms of poverty and hunger, death from preventable diseases and inequalities and injustices. Thus, the requirement to understand the quality of partnership that existed between the government and the private sector on the SDGs was highly recognized globally.

“I am also told that at the request of the Ugandan Prime Minister, Dr Ruhakana Rugunda, Uganda has reached out to the SDG Advisory Unit in the Office of the President to ask for documentation on the CEOs Advisory Group and lessons from the various breakfast meetings to enable Uganda to replicate it in that country,” the Vice President further added.

Alhassan Andani, the Chairman of the CEO’s Advisory Group opined that in collaboration with the government, the private sector will select the activities that the SDG Delivery Fund would be applied to.

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