The United Nations (UN) has lamented non-inclusion and inequality among societies as a major challenge to the Sustainable Development Goals. This is contained in the Secretary-General, Antonio Guterres’, message to mark World Cities Day 2022. 
“Next year marks the mid-point to the deadline to reach the SDGs. Yet an honest look reveals a bleak picture. Across a range of critical goals from poverty and hunger to gender equality and education we are not seeing progress, but backsliding. The consequences are dramatic: escalating climate chaos, growing poverty, rising inequalities, and more. We must change course and we can.”
This celebration was established in 2014 in order to promote the international community’s interest in global urbanization. Another reason for its establishment is to push forward cooperation among countries in meeting opportunities and addressing challenges of urbanization, and in contributing to sustainable urban development around the world.
The theme for this year’s event is “Act Local to Go Global”.  The goal of this topic is that the international organization expects every part of the world to be carried along in development. Many communities in the developing world suffer undue neglect, leading to their underdevelopment.
The Executive Director, UN Habitat, Ms Maimunah Mohd Sharif, added that “We have only about 87 months, 380 weeks or 2600 days left to implement the 2030 Sustainable Development Goals. The best way to do so is by ensuring our cities and communities are sustainable. These are big words.” She further explained that we need to ensure that our various communities are safe from conflicts, diseases and lack of basic necessities, as they are setbacks to the SDGs.
As the world celebrates this day, it is another opportunity to draw the attention of many nations across the globe to prioritise provision of basic amenities and essential services in communities to ensure social justice and curb unnecessary emigrations. This way, development will be even. Nigeria is not free from the guilt of poor town planning and community underdevelopment.