By Desmond Utomwen
In the illustrious realm of Nigeria, where tradition meets modernity, one name shines brightly, resonating with grace, elegance and unwavering dedication – Princess Adejoke Orelope-Adefulire, OFR. Beyond this, she embodies service and commitment to making a difference in the lives of others. Her journey is not just one of royalty, but of profound passion and impactful endeavours with fervent dedication to advancing humanity; the rights of women, youths and vulnerable populations. The Senior Special Assistant to the President on Sustainable Development Goals embodies a harmonious fusion of regal heritage and an unwavering commitment to fostering positive change.
A Royal Legacy:
Princess Adejoke Orelope-Adefulire’s trajectory into the echelons of power and influence was paved by her noble lineage and unwavering sense of duty. Born into royalty, she inherited a legacy of service and stewardship, instilling in her a deep-rooted commitment to advancing the welfare of the people. This ethos of service permeates every facet of her illustrious career, driving her to champion causes that uplift the marginalized and empower the disenfranchised. Her upbringing instilled in her a profound sense of responsibility towards her community and country. Yet, her vision transcends borders, encompassing the global imperative for sustainable development and inclusive growth. Her noble lineage serves not merely as a symbol of prestige, but as a catalyst for service and transformation. From her early years, she demonstrated a keen interest in social welfare and humanitarian causes, laying the foundation for her future endeavours.
A Lifetime of Service:
With over three decades of meritorious public service, Princess Adejoke Orelope-Adefulire has left an indelible mark on Nigeria’s development landscape. Her journey began during the Third Republic, when she was elected as a Member of the Lagos State House of Assembly, becoming the first female lawmaker in Lagos State – a testament to her trailblazing spirit. She went ahead to distinguish herself as Electoral Commissioner at the Lagos State Independent Electoral Commission (LASIEC), between January 2002 and June 2003 and Commissioner for Women Affairs and Poverty Alleviation from 2003 to 2011. Subsequently, from 2011 to 2015, she held the esteemed position of Deputy Governor of Lagos State, concurrently serving as the Honourable Commissioner for Women Affairs and Poverty Alleviation, and now, the Senior Special Assistant to the President on Sustainable Development Goals.
Passion for Youth, Girls and Women Empowerment:
Princess Adejoke Orelope-Adefulire’s dedication to the empowerment of youth, girls and women is legendary and thoroughly documented. During her tenure as commissioner in Lagos state, she played a pivotal role in the enactment of key legislative measures aimed at safeguarding the rights of children and combating gender-based violence. Notably, she co-sponsored the ground-breaking Child Rights Law and the Domestic Violence Law in Lagos State in 2007. Additionally, she spearheaded initiatives to address unemployment among young men and women by establishing 22 fully operational Skills Acquisition Centres. Similarly, her compassionate efforts led to the establishment of a 176-Bed Transit Home to provide refuge and support for victims of domestic violence and abuse, underscoring her deep-seated commitment to protecting the vulnerable and marginalized in the society. She has continued on this trajectory as the SSAP-SDGs, building numerous Centres for Abused Women and Girls across the country. She equally championed the signing of a Memorandum of Understanding between her Office, OSSAP-SDGs, and the Nigerian Bar Association for the provision of pro bono legal services to the poor and vulnerable people across the country.
Key Achievements:
Princess Adejoke Orelope-Adefulire’s tenure as the SSAP-SDGs has been marked by a number of strategic interventions and impactful initiatives aimed at driving Nigeria towards the attainment of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development. Through her visionary leadership and commitment, she champions initiatives aimed at eradicating poverty, promoting gender equality, ensuring quality education, fostering climate action and advancing healthcare access. Her multifaceted approach reflects a holistic understanding of the interconnectedness of social, economic, and environmental challenges facing our world today.
As the Senior Special Assistant to the President on Sustainable Development Goals, Princess Adejoke Orelope-Adefulire exemplifies leadership characterized by empathy, vision, and pragmatism. She navigates the complexities of policy-making with grace and wisdom, leveraging her diplomatic acumen to forge partnerships and alliances that transcend political divides. Her collaborative spirit inspires stakeholders from diverse sectors to unite in pursuit of sustainable national development.
Establishing robust Institutional Frameworks for Operationalising the 2030 Agenda for sustainable development in Nigeria
Under her leadership, OSSAP-SDGs has embarked on Mainstreaming, Acceleration and
Policy Support (MAPS) for the implementation of the SDGs. She has been working closely with key stakeholders to institutionalise the SDGs at the national and sub-national levels in Nigeria. Appropriate institutional and policy frameworks are now in place to guarantee effective implementation across the country. Some of the key initiatives include the realignment of the National Statistical System with the requirements and indicators of the SDGs. With this, Nigeria will be able to track and monitor performance on the SDGs on annual basis through the National Bureau of Statistics. With the successful realignment in 2022, Nigeria become the first country in Africa to achieve this. Others include the domestication of the Integrated Sustainable Development Goals Simulation Model (iSDG Model) as a home-grown analytical tool for evidence-based SDGs policymaking and planning. The iSDGs Model has now been integrated into Nigeria National Development Plan (2021 to 2025) and Nigeria Agenda 2050. The Office has equally developed a National SDGs Implementation Plan (2020-2030) as a roadmap for the effective implementation of the SDGs in Nigeria. The Plan chronologically reviews the past, examines the present and projects the future of the SDGs in Nigeria.
In 2021, Princess Adejoke guided Nigeria to emerge as the first country in the Global South to have successfully completed a Country-led independent evaluation of SDG-3 on ‘quality health and well-being for all’ and SDG-4 on ‘qualitative and inclusive education and lifelong learning for all’. The Evaluation reports document where Nigeria is as a country in terms of SDGs 3 and 4, the gaps and the roles all stakeholders must play to fast-track the achievement of the SDGs by the year 2030 in Nigeria.
In 2022, working with development partners and other stakeholders, she spearheaded the design of Nigeria’s Integrated National Financing Framework (INFF) for Sustainable Development. The INFF offers a framework for financing of initiatives needed to achieve the SDGs in Nigeria. This is because it has been estimated that as a country, Nigeria will need an investment of approximately $10 billion annually to achieve the SDGs. Nigeria was also among the first few countries that responded positively to the call for Voluntary National Review (VNR) by the United Nations High-Level Political Forum (HLPF) on Sustainable Development in 2017. Nigeria also defied the COVID-19 challenges to present the second Voluntary National Review (VNR) in 2020.
She also initiated series of multi-level engagements and partnerships to drive the successful implementation of the SDGs with the private sector, civil society organisations and professional bodies, such as the Nigerian Bar Association (NBA). Beyond Nigeria’s borders, Princess Adejoke Orelope-Adefulire’s impacts are also being felt. She spearheaded Nigeria’s sponsorship of United Nations General Assembly Resolution A/77/L.64 on “Strengthening Voluntary National Reviews through Country-led Evaluation”. This resolution received support from twenty-four countries, including Russia, China, Jamaica, Senegal, and South Africa, further highlighting Nigeria’s influence and commitment to promoting robust evaluation mechanisms for monitoring SDGs progress worldwide.
Education and Youth Empowerment:
One of Princess Adejoke’s defining characteristics is her boundless passion for education. Recognizing the transformative power of knowledge, she has been a steadfast advocate for educational reform and accessibility. Through her initiatives, she has spearheaded numerous projects aimed at improving educational infrastructure, providing scholarships for underprivileged students, and promoting literacy programs across Nigeria. Her unwavering commitment to education as a catalyst for societal advancement has left an indelible mark on countless lives, empowering individuals to reach their full potential.
Princess Adejoke Orelope-Adefulire is conscious of the fact that Education lies at the heart of sustainable development. She has, therefore, been a staunch advocate for quality education for all. Under her leadership, OSSAP-SDGs has embarked on ambitious projects to improve access to education, including the construction and renovation of schools, provision of educational materials and support for vocational and skill acquisition programs. Between 2017 and 2022, she spearheaded the construction and furnishing of over 9,000 Blocks of Classrooms, as well as the construction and equipping of 66 Skill Acquisition Centres across Nigeria. In a remarkable fashion, Princess OrelopeAdefulire ensured that within a record time, at least, a fully furnished block of six classrooms was delivered in each of the 360 Federal Constituencies in the country. Similarly, a total of 4,845 Desktop and Laptop Computers have also been supplied to schools across the country for Information and Communication Technology (ICT) training. Additionally, through a strategic partnership with Google, over 400,000 young Nigerians were trained on Digital and entrepreneurship Skills.
Beyond the establishment of robust institutional arrangement for the implementation of the SDGs, Princess Adejoke is equally driving the implementation of the SDGs with innovations and creativity. This is evident with the launch of Smart Classrooms and Digital Education initiative in collaboration with the global digital giant, NetDragon Websoft. The Initiative aimed at providing quality education to Nigerian children in line with SDG-4 on ‘inclusive and equitable quality education and promotion of lifelong learning opportunities for all’. It was designed to encourage local investors to invest in ICT by building IT Incubators, Digital Studios, and Software Outsourcing and Training Hubs.
One of the key challenges confronting the country is the high number of Out-of-School Children. In seeking to address this, Princess Adejoke played a leading role in the adoption of Strategic Work Plan by the National Steering Committee on Alternative School Programme, which was designed to bridge the gap in access to quality education for Out-Of-School Children across the country.
Poverty Alleviation and Economic Empowerment:
Through initiatives such as vocational skills development programs, job creation projects, and economic empowerment schemes, Princess Adejoke Orelope-Adefulire has empowered countless individuals to achieve financial independence and self-reliance. Nigeria has also put in place mechanisms for identifying and targeting the poor with Pro-poor and pro-development programs undertaken in the quest to bequeath to the people, a desired future in which no one is left behind.
Healthcare and Maternal/Child Well-being:
Recognizing the critical importance of effective healthcare service delivery in driving sustainable development, Princess Adejoke Orelope-Adefulire has facilitated the establishment of fully equipped state-of-the-art healthcare facilities across Nigeria. These include Mother and Child Hospitals (MCCs) and Primary Healthcare Centers, (PHCs). Between 2017 and 2022, her Office constructed and equipped a total of 43 units of 120 or 100 Beds Mother and Child Hospital (MCC); 27 units of 80 Beds Ultra-Modern Hospitals; and 195 units of Primary Healthcare Centres across the country. These efforts have contributed significantly to reducing maternal and child mortality rates and improving overall health outcomes in Nigeria.
Climate Action and Environmental Sustainability:
As the global community grapples with the existential threat of climate change, Princess Adejoke Orelope-Adefulire has placed a strong emphasis on climate action and environmental sustainability. Through initiatives such as renewable energy projects, afforestation programs and advocacy for sustainable land use practices, she has given voice to the fight against climate change while ensuring the protection of its natural resources for future generations in Nigeria. In this regard, OSSAP-SDGs has made it a point of responsibility to install solar energy in all the facilities built across the country.
A Vision for the Future:
As Princess Adejoke Orelope-Adefulire continues in her quest to impact humanity, her commitment to advancing the Sustainable Development Goals remains unwavering. With the Renewed Hope Agenda of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu as a guiding framework, she is poised to lead Nigeria in the journey of operationalizing the SDGs, and towards a future of prosperity, inclusivity, and sustainability. Armed with her passion, experience, and shared determination, she continues to inspire hope and catalyze positive change, leaving an indelible legacy for generations to come.
Beyond the corridors of power, Princess Adejoke Orelope-Adefulire’s influence reverberates across communities, where her presence elicits hope and empowerment. Through grassroots engagement and advocacy, she empowers marginalized voices, ensuring that the SDGs remain rooted in the lived experiences of those most affected by inequity and injustice. Her approach is not merely top-down but inclusive and participatory, reflecting a profound respect for the inherent dignity and agency of every individual.
Commendations:
Princess Adejoke Orelope-Adefulire’s numerous impacts have not gone unnoticed. She has received a number of commendations for pioneering key strategic initiatives from the United Nations and other global bodies. On Tuesday, June 20, 2023, the United Nations conferred on her the SDGs Champions Award, amidst praises from development partners and stakeholders. She has also received several awards locally and internationally for her outstanding service in public office, including the conferment of the Officer of the Order of the Federal Republic, OFR by former President Muhammadu Buhari in 2022 as well as the National Productivity Order of Merit (NPOM) Award in 2023. She was awarded the International Public Servant of the Year Award in 2007 by the Scottish Widows – a UK-based Non-Governmental Organization and bagged the Lagos State Person of the Year Award in 2009. She received the Daisey George Award 2010 in USA, as an advocate of children’s protection and development. In 2018, she was honoured by the International Women’s Society (IWS) in recognition of her efforts at empowering and defending the rights of women, youth and children. Similarly, in recognition of her contributions towards the attainment of SDGs 8 and 10 in Nigeria, she was inducted as a Fellow of the Global Membership Platform of the Association of Business Executives (ABE) United Kingdom in May 2019 and received the CSR and Sustainability Champions Award from SERAS CSR Awards Africa in 2018. She is also a recipient of the Guinness World Records for the most children reading aloud with an adult at a single location, which she achieved while reading with 4,222 school children in 2011. Princess Orelope-Adefulire holds an Honorary Doctor of Arts (Poverty Alleviation and Technology Incubation) from the Lagos State University (LASU).
Conclusion:
As a beacon of hope in a world grappling with complex challenges, Princess Adejoke Orelope-Adefulire inspires many to believe in the transformative power of compassion, collaboration, collective action, and visionary leadership. Her legacy transcends titles and accolades, resonating in the lives touched and the futures transformed by her tireless dedication. In her, people have found not only a princess but a visionary leader whose passion ignites a flame of possibility in the hearts of all who aspire to create a more just, equitable, and sustainable world. From her humble beginnings to her current role as a driving force behind Nigeria’s sustainable development agenda, she exemplifies the power of vision, service, dedication, and stewardship, leaving an indelible imprint on the tapestry of human history by creating a better world for all. As Nigeria charts its course towards a brighter future, Princess Adejoke Orelope-Adefulire stands as a shining example of what is possible when passion meets purpose, and commitment meets action. On this special occasion, the world rejoices in celebrating her 65th birthday.
Desmond Utomwen Writes from Abuja
