Financing for Sustainable Development Goals: The Nexus Between Citizens’ Actions and Public Finance Management

Abstract: The 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development is a global call to action to eradicate poverty, safeguard the environment, and ensure peace and prosperity for all. Central to this agenda is the 17 Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) supported by 169 targets. With less than seven years to 2030, there are concerns that many developing and least developed nations may still need to achieve some key goals. While resource constraints pose a significant challenge, this study reveals that effectively utilizing available resources is critical in avoiding the risk of missing these goals if timely actions are not taken. The study comprehensively analyzed the powers and stakeholders in selected Nigerian states, focusing on sectoral budget allocation to crucial areas such as hunger reduction, poverty eradication, education enhancement, inclusivity, and overall well-being. Utilizing a mixed methodology, including Key informant interviews, Focus Group Discussions, and desk reviews, the study highlighted inadequate budget allocation in underperforming states, hindering the attainment of SDGs.

Additionally, it was revealed that the budget fund releases to these critical areas in the rural states are often below 15% of the poorly allocated budgets. In contrast, the study also indicates that other subnational with better performance towards the goals had improved budget releases in the sectors that directly impact accelerating the achieving of the SDGs. Further analysis found that the states performed better in budget releases once they started adopting a system of empowering the citizen group to engage public finance within the public sectors in an open governance relationship for improved service delivery. The study drew the nexus between citizen-based monitoring, public finance management, and the improvement towards accelerating sustainable development goals.

Key words: citizens’ action, public finance, sustainable development goals

JEL code: E620