Experts, policymakers and scholars at the 2026 International Sustainable Development Dialogue, organised by the Global Affairs and Sustainable Development Institute, Osun State University, Osogbo, in partnership with Rosa-Luxembourg Stiftung, Germany, and the University of Warwick, UK, examined why many development initiatives have yielded limited results despite significant investments and policy interventions. They called for more inclusive, locally driven and collaborative approaches to sustainable development, anchored on stronger governance, indigenous knowledge and active citizen participation. Funmi Ogundare reports