The European Union Sustainable and Innovative Social Protection (EU-SUSI) Project has supported the 23 Local Government Area chairmen of Sokoto State to institutionalise social protection initiatives.
The EU-SUSI Project is being implemented by the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF).
Speaking while declaring open a two-day workshop on Wednesday in Birnin Kebbi, Sokoto State Commissioner for Budget and Economic Planning, Dr. Abubakar Zayyana, said the project aligns with the goal of ensuring more residents have increased access to social protection.
Zayyana commended the European Union and UNICEF for their support to the Sokoto State Government in fully operationalising social protection at both state and local government levels.
He said the workshop would strengthen the capacity of the 23 Local Government chairmen in institutionalising social protection at the local level.
Zayyana further expressed Governor Ahmad Aliyu’s appreciation to the European Union and UNICEF for their ongoing programmes aimed at enhancing the well-being of citizens, especially women, children, and other poor and vulnerable groups.
The commissioner also assured the state and local governments of their commitment to sustaining these programmes in line with the current government’s agenda for overall development.
“I would like to emphasise that social protection is very important and a lifecycle approach intervention that can significantly help prevent insecurity and the emergence of various forms of crime among the population,” Zayyana said.
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“I have seen how it works effectively in developed countries, particularly the United Kingdom, where numerous programmes including Universal Child Benefit allowances, unemployment allowances, and family allowances are designed and implemented by the government.”
He urged the chairmen to prioritise social protection activities in their planning and budgeting processes to reduce poverty and vulnerability.
“Reports from various surveys conducted by the National Bureau of Statistics (NBS), including the recent Multidimensional Poverty Index, indicate that Sokoto State ranks among the states with the highest poverty levels in Nigeria,” he added.
The commissioner also commended Governor Aliyu for approving a state-owned multidimensional poverty survey, which has been concluded and is awaiting the release of results by the State Bureau of Statistics. He pointed out that the findings would serve as foundational data for the state’s budget planning and implementation.
In his remarks, Alhaji Bashir Salihu, Chairman of Tambuwal Local Government and Chairman of the Association of Local Governments of Nigeria (ALGON) in Sokoto State, described the social protection programme as the best way to address the current social and economic challenges facing the state and nation.
Salihu explained that the challenges stem from lack of income and limited access to basic services. He expressed the commitment of the 23 LGAs to mainstream social protection in their priorities, starting with plans and budgets for the next fiscal year.
He stated that the LGAs would form and inaugurate a technical working group on social protection in accordance with the state’s social protection policy, and appoint social protection desk officers across all 23 LGAs.
Mr. Michael Juma, UNICEF Sokoto Field Office Chief of Field, said the European Union and UNICEF are collaborating with the state and local governments to provide technical and financial support to transform the state’s social protection system into a shock-responsive one.
Juma added that the project is supported by a reinforced policy framework and an integrated financial mechanism within state and LGA budgets and planning efforts.
“UNICEF’s mandate is to advocate for and uphold the rights of all children by protecting them, and to support the government in creating and strengthening child-sensitive, inclusive, and sustainable social protection systems to combat child poverty,” Juma said.
