Regina Otokpa 
The International Labour Organisation (ILO), European Union and other stakeholders have called on the Federal Government to expedite the establishment of a National Social Protection Council to strengthen coordination and delivery of social protection programmes in Nigeria.
Senior Specialist on Social Protection at the ILO, Inviolata Chinyangarara, made the call at the end of an eight-day Transform Training of Trainers (TOT) programme on social protection systems organised in collaboration with UNICEF and funded by the European Union (EU), as part of the Supporting Sustainable Social Protection Systems in Nigeria (SUSPIN) project.
Chinyangarara explained that the initiative was designed to build the capacity of key stakeholders and enhance the effective implementation of social protection programmes across the country in order to reduce poverty and strengthen Nigeria’s social protection framework.
She said: “This training is not an end in itself. There will be a follow-up to ensure that each master trainer is certified and able to cascade the knowledge to others within their institutions.”
Chinyangarara noted that one of the major innovations of the project was the collaboration among development partners, which replaced the previous fragmented approach to implementing social protection interventions.
“ILO, UNICEF and the EU are working together to build a strong and sustainable system. We are also touching new geographical areas that have critical needs in social protection.”
Programme Manager with the EU, Chioma Osuji, who revealed that the project has two major components: system strengthening and social safety nets, explained that while UNICEF and ILO oversee the system strengthening aspect in Abia, Benue, Oyo, and Sokoto States, the Deutsche Gesellschaft für Internationale Zusammenarbeit (GIZ) implements the safety nets component in Borno and Adamawa States.
“The EU’s funding of this project underscores its commitment to supporting Nigeria’s efforts toward inclusive growth, poverty reduction, and sustainable development through effective social protection systems.
“At the end of the day, we expect these master trainers to support their various ministries, agencies, and communities to strengthen social protection systems that will ultimately help reduce poverty in Nigeria.”
National Coordinator of the Network on Social Protection Advocacy in Nigeria (NSPAN), Dr Taiwo Benson, urged the Federal Government to fast-track the establishment of the National Social Protection Council through an Act of the National Assembly to enhance coordination and sustainability of social protection initiatives.
“As the national social protection policy is being revised, we urge the Federal Government to prioritise setting up the National Social Protection Council as a coordinating mechanism. If we must address poverty in the long term, this structure is crucial.”
Benson, who was one of the participants at the training, commended the ILO and EU for providing civil society organisations with practical tools to strengthen collaboration and improve coordination in tackling poverty.
“One of the key takeaways from this training is the need to work as a team to effectively tackle poverty in Nigeria. Partnership is the new innovation,” he said.
Benson added that NSPAN and other civil society groups were committed to advocating for a legal framework to guide social protection and to mobilise community voices to ensure better government accountability and funding.
