Be Bold in Your Ideas, Fearless in Advocacy for SDGs, UN Envoy Counsels Young Creators

The Resident Representative/Humanitarian Coordinator a.i., United Nations, UN, Ms Elsie Attafuah, lent her esteemed presence, alongside her team from the global body, to the 2024 SDGs Shortfilm Challenge which took place on Saturday, December 21, 2024, at the Silverbird Galleria, Central Area, Abuja.

In her keynote address, she spoke about the importance and urgent need to tap into the abundant creative energies of young people towards towards fostering global development through the SDGs.

Below is her presentation:

Your Excellencies Distinguished Government Representatives Representatives of the movie industry My colleagues from the UN Representatives of the Civil society The fourth estate of the realm, the media Distinguished guests, ladies and gentlemen.

I am delighted to be part of this very important initiative that underscores the critical role of young people and the potency of movie industry in accelerating the achievement of Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) in Nigeria.

Today marks another milestone in the collaboration between the United Nations with the Office of the Senior Special Assistant to the President on SDGs (OSSAP-SDGs), and FreshNEWS Multimedia as we gather to celebrate creativity, innovation, and youth leadership in advancing the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development. 

Congratulations to everyone that has worked tirelessly to make this a reality. The Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) offer a blueprint for a better world, but achieving these goals requires the contributions of all stakeholders, including government, private sector, academia, development partners, multilateral partners, the civil society, and the public.

The SDGs are "woefully off-track” to achieve the Sustainable Development Goals by 2030 deadline, as more than four out of five targets are not on track, according to the UN Secretary-General António Guterres. Nigeria is not an exception. Certainly not!

This situation was worsened by COVID-19, Climate change and Conflicts, the combination of which reversed some of the progress made earlier.

Currently the world faces health, social and economic crisis with growing destruction of biodiversity and the worsening impacts of climate change and intersecting inequalities and threats to fundamental human rights.

As much as there are challenges, opportunities also abound in Nigeria. Young people play a central role in using digital technologies and creative industries to address socio-economic challenges.

The fourth chapter of the Pact For The Future adopted by all member states of the UN, of course, including Nigeria, is on ‘Youth and Future Generations’. Therefore, this SDGs Short Film Challenge is far more than a film show: It is a vital step towards realizing the full potential of young people in Nigeria, leveraging the veritable platform of the movie and entertainment industry.

It is an innovative initiative designed to empower young filmmakers to spotlight developmental issues through the lens of sustainability, leverages the storytelling power of film to amplify youth voices, foster creativity, and inspire collective action to tackle gender inequality, to address climate change.

These films are more than artistic expressions; they are calls to action toward achieving the global goals. This event marks the culmination of a year-long effort by the OSSAP-SDGs, UN Information Centre (UNIC) in Resident Coordinator’s Office and Fresh NEWS to engage young filmmakers as key players in the global drive for sustainable development.

Although governments, organizations, and stakeholders work tirelessly to implement the SDGs, young people have emerged as key drivers of change. They have become architects and champions of sustainable development. They are mobilizing, innovating and connecting more to accelerate action on the SDGs.

The inaugural edition of the Challenge which took place in August 2023, garnered 73 entries from across Nigeria, the success of which laid a strong foundation for the 2024 edition, which has achieved unprecedented growth, attracting 2,250 submissions from 119 countries.

This remarkable increase underscores the global relevance and appeal of this Nigerian-led initiative. The United Nations has long recognized the importance of the creative industry in pushing the Agenda 2030. Today, the UN stands with you as you reveal the brilliant visions depicted in the films that addresses the challenges we face and accelerate the solutions and commitments as outlined in the 2030 Agenda.

As we unveil the selected entries in this SDGs Film Challenge, I hope to see issues highlighting the 17 Global Goals such as quality education, decent work, climate action, gender equality, peace and justice and exploring innovative solutions and sustainable practices that can be scaled, replicated and inclusive.

The challenges in Nigeria are not insurmountable. We must harness the power of technology, foster entrepreneurship, and escalate education and skills development. The United Nations will continue to support the government and the people of Nigeria to create a vibrant ecosystem where every Nigerians can thrive and to ensure the marginalized and vulnerable groups are not left behind.

Today, I urge you all to continue to be bold in your ideas and fearless in your advocacy for the SDGs I congratulate everyone that participated in the challenge and submitted a film entry and birthing game-changing ideas that can accelerate action and achievement of the Global Goals.

Together, we must continue to create a future that is resilient, inclusive, and sustainable–a Nigeria that thrives on the boundless potential of all. Thank you.