Federal Govt, UNICEF To Strengthen Social Protection To Tackle Rising Poverty

The federal government has, in collaboration with the United Nations Children’s Fund, UNICEF, and development partners, emphasised the critical need to strengthen the social protection system to address growing poverty, according to a communique on Saturday.

This was just as the federal government approved a three months one-off allocation and payments to states, vulnerable and poor households to tackle the rising poverty levels in the country.

This was contained in a communique jointly endorsed by UNICEF Representative, Cristian Munduate, EU Ambassador in Nigeria, Samuela Isopi, and Nigeria’s Minister of Finance and Coordinating Minister of the Economy, Wale Edun, at the end of the third edition of the Social Protection Cross Learning Summit held in Abuja on Friday.

According to the communique, Nigeria, the most populous country in Africa, faces significant challenges in human capital development, and deprivations in health, education, nutrition, water, hygiene, sanitation, and child protection.

It noted that the situation underscores the urgency for comprehensive and effective social protection strategies.

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In response to these challenges, the Government of Nigeria introduced a cash transfer programme, providing N25,000 over three months to poor and vulnerable households, it stressed.

This initiative aims to alleviate immediate economic pressures and mitigate the socio-economic impact of recent economic reforms.

“Our goal is to create a comprehensive support network that addresses the multifaceted needs of children and families, ultimately leading to improved outcomes in health, education, and overall well-being. We must work together to bridge gaps and strengthen coordination,” the communique added.

Edun also emphasised the importance of integrated social protection systems, noting that Nigeria is committed to ensuring access to social protection for all and removing the barriers that people face in accessing these services.

“As a result, the government is engaged to implement, with the support from relevant stakeholders, including the Social Protection Development Partner Group, the agreed action points from the summit,” he said.

On her part, UNICEF Representative in Nigeria, Munduate, on behalf of the Social Protection Development Partners Group, said, Social protection is crucial in realising the rights of every child.