By Bashir Bello, KANO

Non Governmental Organizations, Action Against Hunger has decried poor investment by the Federal and state governments in social protection policies to alleviate the poverty index in the country.

The Advocacy Officer and Communication, Richard Musa made this known during a Media Roundtable on Child Development Grant Programme, CDGP it’s implementing in Kano.

Musa frowned at what he described as meagre investment made by the country in the area of social protection policy.

He said countries like South Africa invested up to 3.5% of their GDP on the social protection policy while Kenya and France invested 0.4% and over 30% of their GDP respectively.

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According to him, “Government at all levels need to improve social protection investment. Currently, many states in the country do not have policies and law to support social protection programmes.

“In Kano State, where you have the second largest population in the Country and the largest number of persons with a disability, there is a need for the government to prioritize social protection investment.

“We, therefore, pleaded with Governor Abdullahi Umar Ganduje of Kano State to approve the draft Kano State Social Protection Policy developed under the Ministry of Planning and Budget as the coordinating Ministry. This will also eliminate the fragmentation of social investment support by different MDAs and ensure proper coordination.

“The multi-sector are working in isolation without coordination which is responsible for low impact witnessed,” Musa stated.

Earlier, the Project Manager, Stella Esedunme said the group rolled out the programme, CDGP to support the Federal government and four selected states namely Jigawa, Kaduna, Kano and Zamfara to strengthen their social protection systems in order to contribute to greater coverage of inclusive and accountable social protection.

Esedunme said the CDGP’s ultimate aim is to ensure the existence of an enabling environment, strong systems and adequate capacity for the scale-up of social protection in the country, thus contributing to the country’s poverty reduction efforts and simultaneously improving the ability, opportunity and dignity of the poor and vulnerable.

“Social protection is the right of a citizen. Therefore governments should make it a law to ensure that citizens, especially vulnerable are enjoying social protection.

“It also does not necessarily mean to be giving money to people but to strengthen the system that would fight poverty and uplift the life of the public.

“With a social protection programme, even these security challenges would not have been happening. So, we call on governments of these four states to rise up to this challenge and make laws on social protection,” the Project Manager, Esedunme however appealed.

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