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Goals to be reached in 2030
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- Journalism (PJR206D)
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- Tshwane University Of Technology (TUT)
This document is about the goals that the world want to reach by 2030
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SAU Journal of Management and Social Sciences https:journals.sau.edu.ng/index.php/sjmas(ISSN: 2550-7302), Vol. 7, Number 1, March, 2022.
Special Issue on Communication, Management and Economics
Sustainable Development Goals Envision 2030 and the Role of Journalism in Creating
Sustainable Impact in Nigeria
Ufuoma Oliver Komiti & Daniel Ofomegbe Ekhareafo, PhD
Department of Mass Communication
University of Benin, Benin City, Nigeria
ufukom40@gmail.com; talk2ofomegbe@gmail.com
Abstract
The researchers examined SDGs Envision 2030 and the role of journalism in creating sustainable
impact in Nigeria. The researchers adopted development media theory and agenda setting theory
as foundations for the study. Survey design was adopted, using questionnaire as research instrument
to generate data from a sample of 98 NUJ registered journalists in Kebbi State, Nigeria. The data
analysis was done using the simple percentage and frequency distribution tables. The findings
showed that most journalists were only aware of the SDGs on the periphery, but lacked in depth
knowledge, which had contributed to some of the encumbrances of journalism in helping to create
sustainable impact. It was, therefore, recommended among others, that government at all levels
should adopt effective strategies to massively mobilise and motivate journalists across Nigeria by
involving media experts and scholars, media organisations and inclusion of the Envision 2030 in
governments’ annual budgets and engaging stakeholders like the Special Senior Assistant to the
President on the SDGs, the Private Sector Advisory Group and the Donors’ Forum on the SDGs,
the Civil Society Organisations (CSOs) Advisory Group on SDGs.
Keywords: SDGs, Journalism, Sustainable, Envision 2030, Nigeria
Introduction
In September 2015 when the United Nations General Assembly in New York, the United States
adopted the 2030 Agenda for its Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), journalism was pivotal
to creating sustainable impact. It suffices to state here that the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable
Development was meant to provide a common “blueprint for peace and prosperity for people and
the planet, now and into the future” (United Nations, 2021). Why would there have to be SDGs by
the UN? One, it was because nation-states of the world acknowledged their interdependence on one
another and the importance of collaboration in solving critical global and local issues; today, the
world still does. Two and generally, development is seen from a purview of encapsulating
economic resources and improving people’s lives. This is why development needs to be sustainable.
Garrido (2017) asserted that “the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development provides us with a
route – the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), which helps us to identify key areas in which
we should work to improve people’s lives.” The SDGs are believed to be wake up call for action
by all nation-states– developed, developing and underdeveloped - in a mutual global cooperation
recognising that ending poverty and other deprivations must go hand-in-hand with strategies that
improve health and education, reduce inequality and spur economic growth–all while tackling
climate change and working to preserve the water ways and plants and trees (United Nations, 2021).
Besides these themes, communication, freedom of speech and the press were also deliberately
enshrined in the Envisioned 2030. A cursory look at Goal 16 – Peace and Justice Strong Institutions,
gives the needed ken to this fact, also enunciated by UNESCO (2021) that “the importance
of freedom of expression is an indispensable element for flourishing democracies and for fostering
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, https:journals.sau.edu.ng/index.php/sjmas SAU Journal of Management and Social Sciences
(ISSN: 2550-7302), Vol. 7, Number 1, March, 2022.
Special Issue on Communication, Management and Economics
citizen participation in the post-2015 development agenda… UNESCO’s work in this area
contributes to Goal 16 promoting peaceful and inclusive societies, ensuring public access to
information and protecting fundamental freedoms.” Garrido (2017) corroborated the above
assertion further that Goal 16 does not only recognise the importance of securing information for
attaining sustainable development, but it also enhances the safeguard of those producing it.
Envisioned 2030 needs journalists’ involvements all over the world for sustainable impact.
That is, journalists are expected to make substantial contributions to the achievements of the goals.
The reasons being that there are a plethora of SDGs issues wrapped into the 17 Goals. Viewing
them from both global and local levels as pressing global crises, demand global urgent sustainable
collaboration; hence, journalism is expected to play a significant role in the realisation and
sustenance of the goals. Journalism is the oil that lubricates trends and phenomena of human
society. Individuals, societies, organisations and governments rely on the efficacies of journalism
in helping to propagate their ideals and ideologies to soaring heights in an ever growing complex
world. Asemah (2011) posited that journalism though not formal agent of socialisation; yet, is used
often as influential instruments of socialisation through the transmission of all sorts of messages,
in forms of news, entertainment, propaganda, persuasion, etc. According to him “these messages
transmitted by the mass media affect people’s orientations, values and experiences in no small
measure.”(p. 37). By implication, all who consciously or unconsciously jettison using the potency
of the media might hardly meet their aims and objectives.
Journalism serves as the social bridge on which all the other social institutions, formal and
informal in modern societies are connected. Any event, activity or project that is worthwhile its
proponent(s) often engages the media favourably for without that it is deemed dead on arrival or
immobilised. Therefore, journalism helps to circulate the ideals of the SDGs to the world at large
in a most lucid, timely and persuasive way. UNESCO (2021) acknowledged that “inclusive
knowledge societies are the way forward, as they build on the sum of human ingenuity, technical
innovation and the power of information and knowledge.” Journalists raise awareness for the SDGs
by consciously publishing activities that border on the goals. The recognition of the potentials of
journalism in raising awareness for the goals led to establishment of SDG Media Compact in
September 2018 by the United Nations. The SDG Media Compact now consisting of 85 major news
media companies around the globe was an initiative of the UN to drive awareness of the 17 goals.
The organisation seeks to inspire news and entertainment organisations to leverage their resources
and talent to amplify and accelerate progress towards achieving the Goals (Nishimura, 2020; United
Nations, 2021a). Noteworthy was that available data showed that journalism role on the SDGs is
creating sustainable impact at the international scene. However, it is unclear whether journalism is
helping in the implementation of the SDGs and creating sustainable impact in Nigeria; hence, the
study was carried out to examine SDGs Envision 2030 and the roles journalism plays in creating
sustainable impact in Nigeria.
Statement oftheProblem
Since September 2015 when the United Nations General Assembly came up and adopted the SDGs’
Envision 2030 goals in New York, USA and following its first official implementation in January
2016, so much hope has been on journalism in facilitating sustainable impacts of the SDGs all over
the world through creating awareness and setting agenda. Six years after the adoption of the
Sustainable Development Plan, obviously, sufficient data showed that journalism has played
dominant role in creating awareness of the goals and thus, making enduring and sustainable impacts
at global levels. However, the case appeared to be the opposite. Reports on SDGs Envision 2030
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