Save the Children International Nigeria (SCI) says it has observed that despite evidence of the impact of social protection interventions, financing options remain inadequate.
According to the organization, coverage is limited and intersecting shocks are driving many Nigerians into poverty and vulnerability.
The Country Director, Save the Children International Nigeria, Duncan Harvey, at the Expanding Social Protection for Inclusive Development (ESPID) close-out in Abuja on Wednesday, said children are the most vulnerable to malnutrition and poverty, yet they remain the nation’s future.
The innovative programme was jointly implemented by Save the Children and Action Against Hunger, across the north-western states of Jigawa, Zamfara, Kaduna, and Kano.
He said the ESPID has successfully provided proof of concept for future programming, showing that such efforts can have a lasting impact.
According to him, given the significant progress made by the project at both the federal and state levels, the critical question now is how we can ensure that these hard-earned gains are maintained and built upon in the future.
He said this journey has not been without challenges and poverty has worsened in the face of the pandemic, inflation and global shocks.
In his words, ” Increasingly, there are also promising opportunities: we see the presence of supportive policies and legal frameworks, the growing interest of donors and development partners, and the possibility to design shock-responsive programmes in response to the multiple crises the country faces.
He commended the Government of Nigeria and the states of Jigawa, Kaduna, Kano and Zamfara for their continued support and proactive steps in strengthening the social protection system at both the national and state levels.
He said none of the progress made to date would have been possible without the commitment of our key policymakers and decision-makers.
He further explained that the programme has evolved over three significant phases. The highly successful first phase, from 2013 to 2019, was a pioneering pilot reaching over 90,000 households.
He said its goal was to reduce widespread poverty, hunger and child malnutrition in Northern Nigeria through a mixture of cash transfers, counselling and a campaign to change behaviour around maternal and childcare practices.
He said following the CGDP’s demonstrated impact, the second and third phases (from 2019 to 2024) have focused on supporting the Government of Nigeria and its subnational counterparts to strengthen the existing social protection system at federal level and in the states, to begin to establish systems where these were lacking, and to strengthen civil society in calling for improved social protection services.
Also, the Country Director of Action Against Hunger, Thierno Samba Diallo represented by Head of Grants and Compliance, ACF, Meklit Misganaw urged government officials, civil society organizations, community leaders, and private sector partners to keep the momentum going.
“Let us collaborate, share best practices, and engage in dialogue that advances the social protection agenda. Together, we can ensure that no one is left behind,” she said.