By Basillia Obinna
The United Nations has raised fresh concerns over Africa’s slow progress towards the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), warning that the continent risks falling further behind unless governments, the private sector and development partners urgently ramp up investment in people, domestic financing and strategic partnerships.
Speaking at the Africa Social Impact Summit 2026 in Lagos, the UN said with less than five years to the 2030 deadline, Africa must shift from dependence on external aid to home-grown solutions capable of driving inclusive growth, creating jobs and building resilience.
Delivering the UN message on behalf of the United Nations Resident and Humanitarian Coordinator a.i. in Nigeria, Ms Wafaa Saeed, the United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA) Representative in Nigeria, Ms Muriel Mafico, said Africa’s greatest asset is its people, not its natural resources.
“The wealth of a nation is not measured by what it extracts from the ground. It is measured by what it unlocks in its people,” Mafico declared.
Addressing government officials, development partners, civil society organisations and private sector leaders, she said the summit came at a defining moment as African countries grapple with mounting economic pressures, shrinking development assistance, climate shocks and persistent conflicts.
She cited recent global findings showing that only 36 per cent of the Sustainable Development Goal targets are currently on track or making moderate progress, while the financing gap facing developing countries continues to widen amid declining official development assistance.
According to her, discussions around development financing must focus on expanding opportunities for citizens by ensuring that every child has access to quality education, every young person can secure decent employment, every woman can fulfil her potential and every community is equipped to withstand future crises.
Despite the daunting challenges, Mafico said Africa still has the opportunity to shape its own future through stronger domestic leadership, innovation and partnerships.
“No country can outsource its development. No nation can import resilience,” she said, urging African governments to strengthen domestic resource mobilisation and reduce overdependence on external financing.
Turning to Nigeria, she described the country’s youthful population as one of its biggest competitive advantages, saying strategic investment in young people could transform Nigeria into a global hub for innovation, entrepreneurship and inclusive economic growth.
She warned, however, that failure to invest in education, skills development and economic opportunities for young people would deepen inequality and undermine future development.
Mafico called for a fundamental shift in development financing through increased private sector investment, stronger domestic revenue generation, support for entrepreneurship and innovation, expanded opportunities for women and young people, and wider deployment of digital technologies to drive inclusion and economic transformation.
She stressed that partnerships should be judged by measurable impact rather than promises, noting that sustainable development requires collective responsibility and shared commitment.
Highlighting ongoing UN interventions in Nigeria, Mafico said the organisation continues to work with government, civil society, development partners and the private sector to strengthen institutions, expand social protection, transform food systems, promote renewable energy, accelerate digital innovation and improve education and economic opportunities for women and young people.
Reaffirming the UN’s commitment to the 2030 Agenda, she urged stakeholders to move beyond declarations and deliver concrete results.
She challenged participants to ensure that the Africa Social Impact Summit would be remembered not for speeches delivered, but for the partnerships forged, investments mobilised and actions taken to build a more inclusive, resilient and prosperous Africa.
