History was made in Abuja when the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) pulled off Africa’s first-ever Pact for the Future Step-Down Workshop, exactly one year after world leaders adopted the landmark agreement at the United Nations General Assembly (UNGA79) in New York.
The groundbreaking session, held on January 30, 2025, convened over 1,000 participants—policy-makers, civil society actors, academics, private sector leaders, and young change-makers—to translate global commitments into national action.
“This is not about lofty speeches in New York; it is about bringing those commitments home and making them real for Nigerians,” CBN Governor, Olayemi Cardoso, declared.
At the 2024 Summit of the Future in New York, Cardoso had stunned observers by sponsoring young CBN staff to directly participate in negotiations that birthed the Pact for the Future—a bold global framework charting cooperation through 2030 and beyond.
True to his word, the CBN chief wasted no time turning talk into action. Backed by the UN office in Nigeria, the Ministry of Youth, and leading NGOs, Cardoso’s team rolled out the Abuja step-down as the first in Africa, effectively localising the Pact’s lofty ambitions.
According to him, “Nigeria cannot afford to be a passive observer. We must lead from the front—especially when the issues directly affect our young people and our economic future.”
Analysts say the workshop is more than symbolism. Africa is the world’s youngest continent, yet it faces some of the steepest hurdles to development. For participants, the Abuja event was a bridge between the high-level diplomacy of New York and the grassroots realities of Nigeria.
Dr. Amina Yusuf, a youth delegate at the workshop, told Razornewsng.com: “For the first time, I felt that these UN documents actually have something to do with me. It was not just theory; it was practical, and it was Nigerian.”
Observers describe the CBN’s leadership as a continental benchmark. By anchoring the Pact’s implementation locally, Nigeria has shown how African institutions can shape, not just follow, global frameworks.
“The truth is clear: without political will, institutional support, and youth-driven engagement, documents like the Pact remain dead letters. Nigeria has now proved it can be done,” said one civil society leader who attended the event.
Momentum is already spreading. In August 2025, a follow-up session in Kano—organised with Maryam Abacha American University of Nigeria—brought together 300 youths. The Abuja-based UN Pact for the Future Step-Down Consortium is also coordinating a continental rollout, with plans to replicate the model in other African states.
With less than five years left to meet the 2030 Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), urgency is building. “The Pact is not just a piece of paper,” Cardoso reminded participants. “It is a call to act—now.”
As Africa watches, the question remains: will others rise to the challenge, or will Nigeria stand alone as the continent’s trailblazer?
