Achieving Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) Through Transformative Governance Practices and Vertical Alignment at the National and Subnational Levels in Africa

The document outlines a framework for transitioning African governance toward the 2030 SDGs, emphasizing the need for National Councils for Sustainable Development (NCSDs) and integrated planning. It identifies current gaps, such as poor policy implementation and a dearth of data, and proposes capacity-building strategies and the establishment of Communities of Practice (CoP) to foster knowledge sharing across the continent.

• African nations are identified as being highly vulnerable to global climate change despite accounting for less than 4 per cent of global greenhouse gas emissions, yet they possess a comparative advantage in renewable energy resources that could allow them to industrialize using low-carbon options.
• A common African position for the post-2015 development agenda was developed around five pillars: structural economic transformation and inclusive growth; science, technology and innovation; people-centered development; environmental sustainability, natural resources management, and disaster risk management; and finance and partnerships.
• The document proposes a future governance model for 2030 where a National Council for Sustainable Development (NCSD), chaired by the President or Prime Minister, oversees the policy vision and coordinates vertical and horizontal collaboration between government departments and subnational bodies.
• Current governance in Africa is characterized by significant gaps, including a lack of institutionalized frameworks for stakeholder engagement, top-down orientation of plans, and poor implementation of policies across sectors in countries such as Uganda, the Democratic Republic of Congo, and Burundi.
• Effective monitoring, reporting, and accountability are hindered by a general dearth of data, poor logistical support for data collection, and the high cost of monitoring and evaluation, which often leads to the creation of unrealistic indicators.
• To advance sustainable development, the paper recommends systemic, institutional, and individual capacity building, including the development of SMART (specific, measurable, achievable, relevant, and time-bound) indicators and the use of indigenous knowledge systems.
• The document advocates for the creation of Communities of Practice (CoP) to facilitate the exchange of best practices and knowledge, identifying several existing African networks such as the Pan African Climate Justice Alliance (PACJA) and the African Technology Policy Studies Network (ATPS) as potential champions.

APA

Urama, K., Ozor, N., & Acheampong, E. (2014). Achieving Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) Through Transformative Governance Practices and Vertical Alignment at the National and Subnational Levels in Africa. International Institute for Sustainable Development. https://www.iisd.org/system/files/publications/sdplannet_africa.pdf

Chicago

Urama, Kevin, Nicholas Ozor, and Ernest Acheampong. Achieving Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) Through Transformative Governance Practices and Vertical Alignment at the National and Subnational Levels in Africa. International Institute for Sustainable Development, 2014. https://www.iisd.org/system/files/publications/sdplannet_africa.pdf.

Wikipedia

{{cite report |last1=Urama |first1=Kevin |last2=Ozor |first2=Nicholas |last3=Acheampong |first3=Ernest |title=Achieving Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) Through Transformative Governance Practices and Vertical Alignment at the National and Subnational Levels in Africa |publisher=International Institute for Sustainable Development |date=May 2014 |url=https://www.iisd.org/system/files/publications/sdplannet_africa.pdf |access-date=23 October 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@techreport{urama2014achieving, author = {Urama, Kevin and Ozor, Nicholas and Acheampong, Ernest}, title = {{Achieving Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) Through Transformative Governance Practices and Vertical Alignment at the National and Subnational Levels in Africa}}, institution = {International Institute for Sustainable Development}, year = {2014}, month = may, url = {https://www.iisd.org/system/files/publications/sdplannet_africa.pdf}, urldate = {2026-10-23}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }