Nigeria Leads Africa’s Push for Smarter SDG Financing, Hosts Ethiopian Delegation
By Our Reporter
Nigeria has reinforced its position as one of Africa’s leading drivers of innovative financing for sustainable development following a three-day high-level experience-sharing engagement with the Federal Democratic Republic of Ethiopia on the implementation of the Integrated National Financing Framework (INFF).
The strategic engagement, hosted by the Federal Government through the Office of the Senior Special Assistant to the President on Sustainable Development Goals (OSSAP-SDGs), brought together senior government officials, development partners, fiscal experts, and policymakers to explore how African countries can mobilise, coordinate, and deploy financing to accelerate the achievement of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).
Also in attendance were chairmen and senior representatives of the Boards of Internal Revenue Services from the 36 states and the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), reflecting the Federal Government’s commitment to strengthening fiscal capacity at the sub-national level as a critical driver of sustainable development financing and effective implementation of the INFF.
The exchange, organised in partnership with the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) with financial support from the European Union (EU), underscored Nigeria’s growing leadership in implementing the framework and showcased the country’s experience as a model for other African nations seeking to strengthen domestic resource mobilisation, improve public financial management, and attract private investment for national development.
Speaking at the opening session, the Senior Special Assistant to the President on Sustainable Development Goals, Princess Adejoke Orelope-Adefulire, OFR, stressed that strengthening fiscal governance at the sub-national level remains crucial to achieving sustainable development.
She noted that state governments play a central role in delivering essential public services such as primary healthcare, basic education, water supply, sanitation, agriculture, infrastructure, and local economic development, making stronger state-level financing systems indispensable.
According to her, the INFF provides governments with a comprehensive platform for coordinating domestic resource mobilisation, improving expenditure efficiency, strengthening public financial management, attracting private-sector investment, and deploying innovative financing mechanisms.
“The INFF recognises that achieving sustainable development cannot rely solely on traditional public financing,” she said. “Strengthening fiscal capacity at the sub-national level is not merely a technical exercise; it is a strategic imperative.”
Also speaking, the Honourable Minister of Finance and Coordinating Minister of the Economy, Professor Taiwo Oyedele, described the INFF as a transformative framework capable of reshaping how countries finance development.
He said the framework represents “a fundamentally different way of thinking about how nations mobilise, align, and deploy financing for sustainable development,” adding that the future of development financing will depend not only on the availability of resources but also on how effectively countries coordinate and invest those resources in national priorities.
The minister further linked the INFF to Nigeria’s ongoing fiscal and tax reform agenda, explaining that stronger domestic revenue mobilisation and institutional reforms are essential to expanding development financing while supporting economic growth, enterprise, and voluntary tax compliance.
The United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) Resident Representative in Nigeria, Ms. Elsie G. Attafuah, emphasised that the Sustainable Development Goals are ultimately delivered at the sub-national level.
She observed that stronger state institutions and improved fiscal systems enable governments to invest more effectively in education, healthcare, infrastructure, enterprise development, and job creation, thereby translating policy ambitions into measurable improvements in citizens’ lives.
For the Ethiopian delegation, the visit offered an opportunity to study Nigeria’s practical experience in implementing the Integrated National Financing Framework.
Leader of the delegation, Mr. Solomon Tesfasilassie Tegene, described the exchange as a strong demonstration of South-South cooperation and commended Nigeria for sharing valuable lessons on innovative financing, domestic resource mobilisation, governance structures, monitoring systems, and private-sector engagement.
He said the knowledge gained during the visit would support Ethiopia’s efforts to strengthen sustainable development financing and institutional reforms.
Throughout the three-day programme, participants examined Nigeria’s governance arrangements, financing strategies, reform coordination mechanisms, monitoring and evaluation systems, as well as emerging sub-national implementation frameworks under the INFF.
Discussions also explored ways to deepen collaboration among African countries in designing nationally owned financing strategies capable of addressing growing development challenges amid constrained fiscal realities.
Nigeria’s Integrated National Financing Framework is designed to mobilise greater public and private financing for sustainable development in line with national priorities. The framework is chaired by the Honourable Minister of Finance and Coordinating Minister of the Economy and co-chaired by the United Nations Resident and Humanitarian Coordinator, with OSSAP-SDGs serving as the Secretariat.
As African countries continue to seek innovative pathways to finance development amid global economic uncertainties, the Nigeria-Ethiopia exchange has further reinforced the importance of South-South cooperation in building resilient institutions, mobilising domestic resources, and accelerating progress toward the Sustainable Development Goals.
