Global development partners and Nigerian delegates at the 80th session of the United Nations General Assembly (UNGA) called for improved partnerships and resources mobilisation in a bid to bridge humongous financing gaps endangering attainment of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) by 2030.
Presenting at UNGA Side Event on High-Level Executive Global Sustainable Investments and Grant Interventions 2025, Kunle Yusuff, Merited Negotiation Consulting Executive Vice-Chairman/CEO, Organising Committee Roundtable 2025 Chairman, estimated that between 2023 and 2030 the amount of $5–7 trillion annually will be needed to invest in SDG-related projects globally.
He observed that climate funding alone would exceed $15 trillion and would require an annual investment of $7.2 trillion, but investments in artificial intelligence (AI) between 2025 and 2030 would likely be over $10 trillion.
Yusuff warned that states and local governments, civil society, and non-governmental organisations should not just sit back if they want to continue to play a role in the game of global development.
We gather here today at a historic juncture in the life of humankind, where global sustainability, equity, and prosperity require bold action and shared purpose,” he said. He spoke of strategic investment in sustainable development as both an economic imperative and a moral obligation, highlighting that low-carbon transitions are opportunities for growth, employment generation, and poverty reduction.
He also highlighted the importance of public-private partnerships and innovative financing models in filling the gap, calling for governments, the private sector, and civil society to lead sustainable programs and social impact projects.
The ceremony was attended by Nigeria’s topmost dignitaries, such as New York Consular General, Amb. Abubakar Jidda; Syndoph Endoni, Nigeria’s Mission to UN; and Benue, Ondo, Kaduna, and Gombe State governors. Global players such as RMC Advisory Group’s Charles Kamin (Canada), Leon H. Sullivan Foundation President/CEO Hope Sullivan, and Gender for Education Empowerment & Entrepreneurship’s Judith Oghenekaro (USA) also graced the ceremony.
Attendees vowed to building coalitions for climate action, economic empowerment, and social justice while bearing witness to the truth that mobilizing sustainable investments is still the best way to attain the 2030 SDG goals.
