The Oyo State Government will on Wednesday July 25 host the official launch of the Yoruba translation of the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).
The launch which is a collaboration of United Nations Information Centre, Lagos (UNIC), United Nations Association of Nigeria (UNAN), Initiative for Information, Arts and Culture Development in Nigeria (IACD) and the state government will hold at Mapo Hall, South East Local government area of the state.
The translation of the UN SDGs goal to Yoruba is to simplify the objectives of the SDGs in executing and implementing some pro-poor projects and programmes under the Conditional Grants Scheme which are targeted for the people at the grassroots.
The State Commissioner for Information, Culture and Tourism, Mr. Toye Arulogun said that the Development Agenda of Western Nigeria (DAWN) is also being collaborated with to ensure that the translated 17 SDGs goals and the action plan for implementation is circulated among the Yoruba speaking states of the South West part of the country.
Arulogun explained that the process of implementing the SDGs goals require that the language is localized for the people to have better understanding of it, stating that the SDGs have been translated in the four indigenous languages of Yoruba, Hausa, Igbo and Pidgin.
According to him, “Nigeria is a signatory to the UN Charter of 2030. The goals should be achieved by 2030 and they are stated in English due to UN official language. The process of implementation requires that the language should be localized. The translation is necessary in order to have a better understanding of the 17 goals of the UN SDG for effective communication on the implementation of the goals.”
He said that the programme, which will chaired by Chief Bamiji Ojo will have in attendance the Senior Special Assistant to President Buhari on SDGs, Mrs. Adejoke Orelope-Adefulire, the United Nations Resident Coordinator in Nigeria Edward Kallon, the Director, United Nation Information Centre (UNIC), Mr. Ronald Kayanja, the President of the Nigerian Association of Commerce, Industry, Mines and Agriculture (NACCIMA) Iyalode Alaba Lawson and the President of UN Association of Nigeria and the DG NACCIMA, Ambassador Ayoola Olukanni.
Others are Oyo State Government Officials, Representatives of DAWN commission, IACD, UNAN, Markets and religious leaders from the state, local government officials and other stakeholders.
