The pursuit of sustainable development is a powerful elixir capable of solving many socioeconomic challenges such as poverty, hunger, workers agitation for a living wage, climate change impact, insecurity and many others, faced by the human society, said the out-gone Vice Chancellor of the University of Abuja, Professor Abdul-Rasheed Na-Alla.

He also noted that government at all levels, institutions of higher learning and private sector organisations must align with the United Nations outlined sustainable development goals, in an effort to tackle the multi-faceted challenges that faces Nigeria as a nation.

Prof. Na-Alla said this when he addressed newsmen as that sideline of the University of Abuja Centre for Sustainable Development banquet and award ceremony held at the Armed Forces Officers Mess and Suites in Abuja.

Na-Alla, who was the chief celebrant of the event, spoke extensively on the importance of sustainable development and charged governments and the university community across Nigeria to invest resources, time and energy towards finding solutions to human and societal challenges instead of exacerbating them.

He charged those in position of authority to use their offices to implement sustainable development programmes and projects for the benefit of humanity. He noted that hunger, poverty, workers’ agitation for a better pay currently going on in Nigeria, insecurity and many other issues can be tackled if those in authority choose to be upright in discharging their duties and committed to implementing good policies.

“Poverty is biting harder in our country today and we are all experiencing it in one way or the other. The idea of sustainable development goals put together by the United Nations is targeting to mobilise governments and everyone towards finding solutions to all the challenges that are fighting the progress, development and prosperity of the human society.

“If we are not intentional and serious about finding solutions to the challenges that are worsening hunger, poverty, insecurity, diseases, agitations by workers and many other groups, we all will suffer the consequences.

“If we continue to be manipulative with the resources that are meant for all, if we continue to take actions that cause abject poverty whereas people are supposed to have plenty to eat if we are not careful and continue to behave the way we do now, the crisis that will follow will be terrible.”