Governor Uba Sani of Kaduna State remains committed to ensuring that social protection is not just a policy but a transformative tool for poverty reduction, equity, and resilience.
The executive secretary, Kaduna Social Investment Protection Agency (KADSIPA), Alhaji Sani Maikudi made this known at the opening of a two-day workshop in Zaria, Kaduna State.
Alhaji Sani further said that “Governor Uba Sani’s administration recognizes the importance of continuously assessing and refining our policies to meet the evolving needs of our citizens.
‘’It is this commitment that has made workshops like this possible, where stakeholders come together to review, analyse, and improve critical frameworks like the Social Protection Policy,’’ he added.
In her goodwill message, Social Policy Officer of the Kaduna Field Office of UNICEF, Wakidara Mavis Akila, said the review is timely and highly welcomed, especially because of climate change.
She assured of UNICEF’s continuous support while congratulating KADSIPA and the Kaduna State Government for their commitment to the success of the programme.
Project coordinator of the Global Alliance for Improved Nutrition (GAIN), Malam Muhammad Shehu Danhassan, appreciated the key roles and functions of Civil Society Organisations by the Kaduna State Government.
He added that the Human Centered Design (HCD), should be mainstreamed and captured into Social Protection Policy as this will ensure that beneficiaries are involved in all decision making process.
Summaya Abdullahi Hussein, the Citizens Co-Chair, OGP Technical Working group, urged KADSIPA to strengthen Social Protection Systems and to also ensure that the policy touches the lives of the people.
According to her, ‘’We need to ensure that what we have on paper will reflect in the vulnerable families we are targeting.’’
The workshop which was organized by KADSIPA in collaboration with UNICEF is aimed at reviewing the Kaduna State Social Protection Policy.
The policy, which was designed in 2020, has a three- year review as part of its guiding principles, for effective use of the policy document, to address emerging challenges and incorporate global best practices in the policy framework.
Representatives of relevant Ministries, Departments and Agencies of Kaduna State, UNICEF, Global Alliance for Improved Nutrition(GAIN), Open Governance Partnership (OGP) attended the workshop.
Also, Kaduna Social Protection Accountability Coalition (KADSPAC) and the Kaduna State chapter of the Joint National Association of Persons with Disability (JONAPWD) were represented.
