CISLAC Reports Insecurity Threatens Nigeria's SDG 16 Goals

The Civil Society Legislative Advocacy Centre (CISLAC) has raised alarms regarding Nigeria's progress towards Sustainable Development Goal 16, which focuses on peace, justice, and strong institutions. Comrade Auwal Ibrahim Musa (Rafsanjani), Executive Director of CISLAC and Head of Transparency International Nigeria, presented the 9th Nigeria SDG 16 Shadow Report at a United Nations General Assembly side event in New York.

The report, covering July 2025 to August 2026, indicates a "mixed picture" of progress, noting advancements in areas like illicit financial flows and anti-money laundering, but highlighting persistent governance challenges. Rafsanjani emphasized the need for stronger safeguards for public institutions, citing issues such as political corruption and inadequate transparency in asset recovery processes.

He warned that insecurity, particularly the commercialization of kidnapping for ransom, poses a significant threat to achieving SDG 16, undermining governance and economic development. The report calls for enhanced accountability mechanisms to ensure the integrity of key public institutions.