At the 3rd Edition of the Social Protection Cross Learning Summit, the Government of Nigeria, in collaboration with UNICEF and its partners, have pitched the urgent need to bolster the social protection system to tackle the pervasive issues of poverty.
As Africa’s most populous country, Nigeria faces significant human capital development challenges, including severe deprivations in health, education, nutrition, water, hygiene, sanitation, and child protection.
Key Talking Points:
1. Addressing Multidimensional Poverty:
Nigeria’s vast population is grappling with multifaceted poverty that demands comprehensive social protection strategies. These strategies are essential to improve health, education, and overall well-being.
2. Cash Transfer Program:
In a bid to alleviate immediate economic pressures, the Nigerian government has launched a cash transfer program. This initiative provides 25,000 Naira over three months to poor and vulnerable households, aiming to soften the socio-economic blow of recent economic reforms.
3. Government Commitment:
Mr. Wale Edun, Minister of Finance and Coordinating Minister of Economy, emphasized the goal of creating an integrated support network for children and families. This network seeks to bridge gaps and enhance coordination to achieve better health and education outcomes.
4. UNICEF’s Role:
Cristian Munduate, UNICEF Representative in Nigeria, highlighted the critical role of child-sensitive social protection in realizing children’s rights and potential.
Munduate praised the government’s progress but stressed the need for stronger connections between social protection and essential services, particularly in health, education, and nutrition.
She said: “The recent cash transfer initiative of 25,000 Naira over a three-month period to 15 million households to alleviate the impact of fuel subsidy removal is a commendable intervention. Additionally, the adoption of social protection policy and establishment of Social Protection Councils in several states reflects a growing commitment to institutionalizing social protection mechanisms.”
5. Current Coverage and Challenges:
Despite advancements, social protection coverage in Nigeria remains low, with only 7 percent of children covered. Weak coordination mechanisms have led to fragmentation and inefficiency in the system.
6. Summit Objectives:
– Raise Awareness: Highlight the role of social protection in mitigating poverty, enhancing economic stability, and promoting inclusive growth through social assistance, social security, and labor market regulation.
– Improve Delivery and Coordination: Propose measures to enhance delivery and coordination for effective coverage and impact of social protection programs.
– Commitment to Financing: Seek commitments from government bodies, international organizations, and private sector stakeholders on innovative financing mechanisms for social protection initiatives.
7. Future Commitments:
The summit concluded with a strong reaffirmation of commitment from the Government of Nigeria, UNICEF, and partners to advance social protection aligned with essential services. A communique was signed to introduce Universal Child Benefit and increase public spending on social protection by 2 percent, aiming to reduce multidimensional poverty and promote equitable development.
As the summit concluded, participants reaffirmed their commitment to advancing social protection in Nigeria. The collective goal is to bridge gaps, strengthen coordination, and ensure that every Nigerian benefits from a system that supports their growth, empowering them to live a life of dignity.
