By Obas Esiedesa, Abuja 

The Executive Director, Africa Network For Environment And Economic Justice (ANEEJ) Rev David Ugolor has stated that social protection remains a key instrument in addressing poverty and fostering inclusive growth amongst vulnerable Nigerians.

Ugolor while speaking at the inaugural Act Naij! Project Advisory Working Group Meeting in Abuja on noted that all hands must be on deck to achieve social protection of Nigerians affected by muilti-dimensional poverty.

“We recognise that social protection remains a key instrument for breaking the cycle of poverty, promoting human dignity, and fostering inclusive growth. 

“However, its success depends on effective coordination among all stakeholders – government, civil society, private sector, and development partners. 

“The National Steering Committee we inaugurated today is therefore an essential mechanism for aligning policy, practice, and partnership toward achieving sustainable outcomes”, he added.

According to Ugolor, the Act Naija! Project – Civil Society Action to Strengthen Social Protection in Nigeria is not just another development initiative but a collaborative platform bringing together government actors, civil society organisations, and development partners to promote inclusive, sustainable, and accountable social protection delivery across the federation.  

He stated that the project is being implemented across seven states which includes Kogi, Enugu, Delta, Borno, Ekiti, Osun, Ondo and the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) which sets to strengthen inclusive social protection systems in Nigeria through civil society advocacy, citizen engagement, and institutional accountability for poverty reduction.

He emphasized that the inaugurated committee marks a significant milestone in their collective effort to strengthen Nigeria’s social protection system and ensure that no citizen is left behind.

Ugolor noted that the committee is an essential mechanism for aligning policy, practice, and partnership toward achieving sustainable outcomes adding that they are committed to supporting the ministry and the state governments to strengthen policy frameworks. 

The Minister for Humanitarian Affairs and Poverty Alleviation, Dr. Bernard Doro on his part reaffirmed that under the Renewed Hope Agenda, the ministry is implementing flagship social protection initiatives that empower vulnerable populations, support livelihoods, and promote economic inclusion. 

Doro, represented by Special Adviser, Abimbola Fashanu said programs such as Conditional Cash Transfers, the Grant for Vulnerable Groups, N- Power, GEEP, Home-Grown School Feeding, and National Social Safety-Net Coordination, were some of the policies by the government to address the issue. 

He noted that through these programmes, over 19.78 million households have been verified in the National Social Register, 5.5 million households currently benefit from cash transfers, and microcredit schemes are supporting livelihoods for over 5 million Nigerians, with strong participation of women and youth across all 774 local government areas. 

Doro stressed that the Ministry is working with major stakeholders in reviewing and updating the National Social Protection Policy (NSPP) to reflect evolving socio-economic realities across all six geopolitical zones and to align with the government’s strategic priorities.