Sustainable Development Goals, International Accountability Mechanisms, and Poverty Reduction in Ebonyi State

The 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development, anchored in 17 Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), represents a comprehensive multilateral framework for coordinating national and international efforts toward ending extreme poverty, reducing inequality, and promoting inclusive development. Nigeria, as a signatory to the 2030 Agenda, has established institutional mechanisms for SDG domestication, including the Office of the Senior Special Assistant to the President on SDGs. Ebonyi State, which consistently ranks among Nigeria's most poverty-affected states, serves as a critical test case for evaluating the practical reach of international accountability frameworks in shaping subnational poverty reduction outcomes. This study assesses the degree to which international SDG commitments and accountability mechanisms have influenced poverty reduction programming in Ebonyi State between 2019 and 2024. A qualitative methodology is adopted, combining policy document analysis with interviews of state planning commission officials, civil society representatives, and international development partners operating in Ebonyi. The multilevel governance theory and the Voluntary National Review process serve as evaluative frameworks. Findings indicate that SDG mainstreaming in Ebonyi State remains largely rhetorical, with limited budgetary alignment between state expenditure patterns and SDG target areas. International accountability pressures, mediated through voluntary reporting rather than binding compliance mechanisms, have generated insufficient incentive for substantive policy change. The study recommends constitutionalizing SDG integration into state planning cycles and establishing independent subnational SDG monitoring bodies. Keywords: SDGs, poverty reduction, international accountability, Ebonyi State, sustainable development