CISLAC's Rafsanjani Critiques Nigeria's SDG 16 Progress

Comrade Auwal Ibrahim Rafsanjani, Executive Director of the Civil Society Legislative Advocacy Centre (CISLAC) and Head of Transparency International Nigeria, expressed concerns regarding Nigeria's progress towards Sustainable Development Goal 16, which focuses on peace, justice, and strong institutions. His remarks were made during the launch of the ninth Nigeria SDG 16 Shadow Report at a side event of the United Nations General Assembly in New York.

The report, covering July 2025 to August 2026, provided an independent assessment of Nigeria's governance challenges, citing weak implementation, enforcement, and transparency. Rafsanjani noted that while there were some institutional actions in areas like illicit financial flows and asset recovery, these had not led to significant improvements in the legal framework or public confidence.

He emphasized the need for protecting public institutions from political interference and highlighted ongoing issues of political corruption and asset declaration transparency. The report also pointed to the erosion of institutional integrity within the judiciary, security institutions, and electoral bodies.