By Kunle Awosiyan
Deputy Editor, Politics & Government
The Lagos State Office of Sustainable Development Goals and Investment has screened 101 eligible applicants for the SDGs Impact Challenges Grants, comprising Non-Governmental Organisations, Civil Society Organisations and other social impact ventures.
Speaking on the assessment exercise held at Impact Hub, Ikoyi, Lagos, the Special Adviser to the Governor on Sustainable Development Goals and Investment, Mrs. Solape Hammond described the programme as a way of identifying the shortfalls and surfeits in funding for sustainable development towards improving outcomes of sustainability initiatives.
Hammond revealed that 577 applications were received for the scheme out of which 101 were eligible, 157 were non-eligible and 314 made an incomplete registration, adding that the government is committed to a transparent, seamless and competitive selection process.
The Special Adviser said that the exercise entailed the review of proposals provided by the eligible applicants with the opportunity to explain the impact their proposed projects would be creating in the state’s journey towards a sustainable city.
“Eligible applicants are provided equal opportunity to showcase and express their ideas and to see that the selection processes are transparent and are in line with the global best practices and standards”, she said.
She stated that the competition, which is designed to fund 51 projects across the 167 targets of SDGs in the State, wouuld also facilitate faculty engagement with economic, social, and environmental issues that are critical to mankind at the local level.
Hammond emphasised that the applicants were development partners who could help the government further the creative exploration of how the SDGs coould provide a common language and platform for tackling local and global challenges.
Speaking, the Project Consultant and the Chief Executive of Mydeslynks Partners Ltd, Mr. Tumi Adeyemi, explained that the screening process also serves as a collaborative approach to grant making. He explained the importance of transparency and accountability in the selection process, stating that those who will eventually receive the grants would have earned them.
Tumi pointed out that Nonprofits were aware of a specific issue in social communities, in society, in a specific field and they needed means to provide an effective solution and build change in those areas of endeavours. He stressed that the assessment was important to ensure that projects align with the government’s strategic priorities and the applicant’s focus and capabilities.
The two-day session which was conducted by representatives of Development Partners, the Private Sector and the State’s MDAs, also include the Dutch Deputy Consular-General, Leonie von Stij; Tayo Olasunde of Mind the Gap; Chinazo Okoye of GIZ; Mories Atoki of ABC Health; Co-founder of Circular Economy Innovation Partnership (CEIP), Natalie Beinisch; Belinda Odeneye of OGTB Limited and Executive Secretary, FC4S Lagos, Etaderhi Emmanuel among others.
