The Ministry of Humanitarian Affairs, Disaster Management and Social Development says there’s a need for maximum cooperation and support of stakeholders to achieve the National Social Investment Programme, NSIP, mandate.
The Minister, Sadiya Umar Farouq stated this at a 2-day stakeholders’ forum on Define Social Protection Floors, in Suleja, Niger State, North-central Nigeria.
Represented by the Acting Director of Social Development Department, Mansur Kulliyah, the Minister said, “the Ministry is therefore appealing for maximum understanding and cooperation of all stakeholders and appeals to all members of the public to desist from actions that may distract the Ministry from discharging this important national mandate or even delay the implementation of these life-changing programmes”.
According to the Minister, social protection can be viewed broadly as all public and private initiatives that provide income or consumption transfers to the poor, protect the vulnerable against destitution, and enhance the social status and rights of the marginalized with the overall objective of reducing the economic and social vulnerability of the poor and the marginalized groups.
“The Ministry and its agencies will continue to render services to Nigerians in humanitarian situations effectively, and implement policies that will drive Social Development and facilitate economic inclusion for the benefit of the most vulnerable in the country especially through the N-power, Government Enterprise and Empowerment Programme (GEEP), Conditional Cash Transfer, as well as the National Home Grown School Feeding Programme and other programmes, rolled out by the present administration”.
She also requested stakeholders to continue in their support of the institutional coordination mechanisms by facilitating inter-sectorial working relationship and assured participants at the forum that the Ministry is committed to ensuring that the strategic objectives of all the social intervention programs are achieved.
Knowledge Transfer
For his part, the National Coordinator, NSIP, Umar Bindir in his presentation said that the number one challenge in the country is poverty which can be tackled through education and transfer of knowledge.
” Our Universities must change to become production and entrepreneurship centers. Social protection is about moving knowledge to the people as a tool to solving their problems”.
He further stated that all programmes of the NSIP will be centrally coordinated and monitored with a view to making the overall impacts transparently felt by all Nigerians.
Responding, Deputy Director Population and Development Department, Federal Ministry of Finance, Budget and National Planning, Obadaru Gbenga, disclosed that, his Ministry is in the process of finalizing the review of the draft National Social Protection Policy.
He said that the Technical Working Group meeting and other critical stakeholders on the draft review of National Social Protection Policy (NSPP) will meet on the 2nd of December, 2021.
He also said that a High Level Policy Dialogue on the Draft Revised National Social Protection Policy, is being organized to discuss the draft NSPP and any likely issues that need the attention of the Honorable Ministers of the Key Sector MDAs in the Social Protection Space.
The meeting is expected to come up on 14th December, 2021.
Nnenna.O
