The Impact of United Nations Millennium Development Goals on Sub-Saharan Africa

Abstract

The Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) provide an international framework that builds commitment and cooperation towards poverty reduction. Since its adoption in 2000, several strides have been achieved in reducing human impoverishment across regions and countries. Despite the limitations associated with the framework, the ramifications and evidences continue to show its potential for poverty reduction. In this paper, the progress of implementation and the targets of MDG 1 for five developing countries in Sub-Saharan Africa have been examined namely: Ghana, Liberia, Nigeria, Rwanda and Uganda. The challenges in implementation were also examined. While Ghana may have halved the proportion of the population living in poverty by 2006, several challenges of funding persist. The review shows that building national capacities for implementation, political and economic stability, increased agriculture productivity and production, and increased international aid are critical avenues by which the attainment of the MDG 1 can be hasten.

Keywords: MDGs, poverty reduction, Sub-Saharan Africa