A two-day International Conference on ‘Achieving Sustainable Development Goals in Africa: Management Strategies and Practices for Sustainable Development, Corporate Social Responsibility, Environmental Sustainability and Entrepreneurship’ has ended in Enugu with a call for collaboration among stakeholders to address peculiar challenges facing Africa.

The conference, held at the Peter Mbah Auditorium at the Enugu State University of Science and Technology (ESUT), Agbani, was organised by the Faculty of Management Sciences of the university.

Declaring the conference open, the Vice Chancellor of the university, Prof. Aloysius Okolie, said the conference was the first of its kind in the history of the institution.

Represented by the Deputy Vice Chancellor, Prof. Chike Nwoha, he described the theme of the conference as apt, stressing that it would further add to the body of existing knowledge.

In his remarks, the Dean, Faculty of Management Sciences, Prof. Uche Ugwuanyi, said the conference was a unique opportunity for university lecturers to stay updated on the latest trends and best practices in the field, enhance their research capabilities and network with their counterparts.

Ugwuanyi expressed the hope that the discussions and recommendations from the conference would provide valuable insights into how organisations can adopt sustainable practices, prioritise corporate social responsibility as well as promote environmental sustainability.

Earlier in a welcome address, the Chairman Local Organising Committee, Prof. Norbert Ile, said the conference was a veritable platform for cross fertilisation of knowledge and networking for policymakers and researchers.

Presenting a paper titled, ‘Achieving Sustainable Development Goals in Africa: Lessons Learned from Disruptive Strategies and Practices of Chukwuemeka Odumegwu Ojukwu University Anambra State’, Acting Vice Chancellor of the university, Prof. Kate Omenugha, said the SDGs represent a global framework for tackling some of the most pressing challenges, such as poverty, inequality and climate change, among others.

Omenugha noted that with five years to the 2030 target date, Africa was far from meeting the set goals.She identified lack of intentionality in addressing the 17 goals of the SDGs as a major bottleneck, wondering why higher education institutions, which should be the drivers of the SDGs, appear to be lackadaisical.

The speaker, Enugu State House of Assembly, Uche Ugwu, noted that Africa should look inwards and find solutions to its peculiar challenges. Other speakers at the conference included Dr Rabiu Olowo, Executive Secretary and Chief Executive Officer, Financial Reporting Council of Nigeria; Dr Friday Akpan, Director General, Nigeria College of Accountancy and Professor Ambrose Anoruo from Texas, A&M University USA.