The New Partnership for Africa’s Development (NEPAD) has called on the Federal Government of Nigeria to intensify its efforts in achieving the millennium development goals to eradicate poverty and improve the standard of living in the country.

The special adviser to the president on NEPAD, Ambassador Tunji Olagunju made the demands of the group known while speaking at a meeting organised for state coordinators in Lokoja. He highlighted agriculture and food security, energy infrastructure, human capacity in health and education as ‘critical sectorial priorities’.

While delivering his speech at the programme, themed ‘NEPAD As Tool For Good Governance,’ Mr Olagunju said that the event was aimed at revealing the fact that the absence of good governance has become the most critical missing link in the quest for sustainable development.

He pointed out that a recent study revealed that the Africa region has not benefited from global decrease in the proportion of people living in poverty and hunger in spite of its natural endowment.

The Kogi state governor, Idris Wada, while addressing the gathering, disclosed that his administration has identified the inescapable need to work with the various component of private sector and civil society in order to develop, implement and promote strategies that will enable the state realise the four priority of transformation agenda as to add value to lives of people of the state and ensure good governance.

Mr Olagunju expressed his optimism, that if the projects and programmes under the sectors are conscientiously implemented, they will bring about transformative shift of that wish, will have positive impact on the living condition of the people.