Nigeria, UNICEF, And Partners Commit To Enhancing Social Protection

The Nigerian government, in collaboration with the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) and partners, have emphasised the critical need for a strengthened social protection system to address the pressing issues of poverty at the third edition of the Social Protection Cross Learning Summit.

Nigeria, Africa’s most populous country, faces significant challenges in human capital development as well as deprivations in health, education, nutrition, water, hygiene, sanitation, and child protection. This situation highlights the critical need for comprehensive and effective social protection strategies.

In response to these challenges, Nigeria’s government implemented a cash transfer programme that provided N25,000 to poor and vulnerable households over a three-month period. This initiative seeks to alleviate immediate economic pressures and mitigate the socioeconomic consequences of recent economic reforms.

Mr. Wale Edun, Minister of Finance and Coordinating Minister of Economy, is
Emphasising the importance of integrated social protection systems, he stated: “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 collaborate to close gaps and improve coordination.”

Cristian Munduate, UNICEF Representative in Nigeria, stated on behalf of the Social Protection Development Partners Group: “Social protection is critical in realising every child’s rights. Child-sensitive social protection is essential for ensuring that every child realises their full potential. We applaud the government for significant progress towards the development of multiple programmes and a single registry. However, stronger linkages between social protection and essential social services, particularly in health, education, and nutrition, are required.”

Despite progress, social protection coverage remains low, with only 7 percent of children covered. The coordination mechanisms are weak, resulting in fragmentation and inefficiency. As a result, the summit aims to generate actionable insights and foster collaboration among key stakeholders in order to improve the coverage, coordination, and financing of social protection interventions.

According to a UNICEF statement, the Summit is objectives include raising awareness about how social protection can reduce poverty, improve economic stability, and promote inclusive growth through social assistance (cash transfers), social security (health insurance), and labour market regulation.

“Improve Delivery and Coordination: Propose measures to improve delivery and coordination mechanisms to ensure that social protection programmes have effective coverage and impact.

“Commitment to Financing: Obtain commitments from government agencies, international organisations, and private sector stakeholders to fund social protection initiatives through innovative financing mechanisms.”

The Nigerian government, UNICEF, and partners reaffirmed their commitment to advancing social protection in conjunction with essential services to provide comprehensive support.

A communique was signed to introduce the Universal Child Benefit and increase public spending on social protection by 2% in order to reduce multidimensional poverty and promote equitable development.