A study has established that ordinary citizens are expressing ignorance about the blueprints of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) since its adoption in 2015.

According to the Citizen Hearings Study on SDGs conducted by Eye for Development (EFD) and Generational Leadership Initiative (GLI), citizens are not adequately involved in decision making processes and marginalised groups are not represented.

In an interview with YFM after presentation of the findings in Lilongwe, Communications Manager for EFD, Baxter Chikoko Nkhoma highlighted that citizens lack capacity and empowerment which, in the long run, has contributed to citizen`s inactiveness in different developmental activities.

“For us as Malawi to reach the goals which were set by 2030, citizens need understand what all about SDGs in the communities is, and we have found that most people do not understand what type of developments there in their communities are,” says Nkhoma.

Nkhoma added that citizens should be urged to develop proactive approach in both developmental and governance structures.

“There is need for popularisation of SDGs in the communities so that they are aware of what they are expecting from their government, and what their government can do to them,” complements Nkhoma.

SDGs are a global agenda for inclusive and equitable growth succeeding the Millennium Development Goals.

The Citizens Hearing Survey had its focus on Goal 1, 4, 5, 8, 10 and 16 of the Sustainable Development Goals which were targeted in the citizens hearings in 10 districts across the country.
According to the findings of study, unfamiliarity of the SDGs among most citizens in targeted districts is said to be one of the major reasons that is contributing to ignorance on the development drawings.