From Mustapha Saye, Kaduna
Kaduna State Governor, Uba Sani has assured that his administration will continue to develop creative and innovative strategies to pull citizens of the state out of poverty.
Governor Sani disclosed that his administration’s three flagship social protection programmes for children, the aged and women in rural areas.
Sani spoke at the maiden Kaduna State Social Protection Summit at Umaru Musa Yar’adua Hall, adding that his government has impacted the lives of the citizens through their social protection programmes.
“We must continue to refine our processes and come up with creative and innovative strategies to pull our citizens out of poverty. Since we assumed office in May 2023, we have placed a high premium on bringing succour to the poor, vulnerable and the underserved in Kaduna State.
“We have been carrying out pro-poor measures to bring needed relief to our citizens.
“A few days after I took the oath of office, I signed an Executive Order on Financial Inclusion to address the exclusion of the poor, under-served and vulnerable from financial services and ensure that they benefit from social intervention programs of Kaduna State and the Federal Government,” he stated.
He said the aim is to empower people with tools like savings accounts, credit, insurance, and digital payment options, enabling them to participate in the formal financial system, manage their finances, and build economic resilience.
“We set for ourselves the target of facilitating the opening of 2.5 million bank accounts for poor, vulnerable and underserved citizens of Kaduna State.
“Through our efforts, 2 million bank accounts have been opened. We are working assiduously to ensure that bank accounts are opened for the remaining 500,000 less-privileged citizens of Kaduna State.
“I also signed into law the State Social Security Bill and the Kaduna State Social Investment Programmes Bill which created an agency to coordinate all national and sub-national social protection interventions in the State.
“We have developed a credible Social Register for Social Intervention Programs. Because of the effective implementation of the Executive Order on Financial Inclusion, especially the opening of bank accounts and development of a credible Social Register, our previously excluded citizens are now able to benefit from Kaduna State and Federal Government’s social intervention programs.
“Our administration’s 3 Flagship Social Protection Programmes are i. Kaduna State Universal Child Grant Programme ii. Ultra-Poor Graduation Programme for Women in Rural Areas, and iii. Kaduna State Old-Age Social Pension Scheme for the Informal Sector.
“We have sustained our progress in the area of social interventions through the forging of strategic partnerships with national and international partners. Our partnership with the Government of the United Kingdom in Nigeria culminated in the signing of the Mutual Accountability Framework For Nigeria Socio-Economic Development (MAF) this year.
“As you are aware, the MAF is a blueprint for socio-economic development covering economic transformation, governance, health, education and social protection. This high-level Summit with the theme “Rethinking Social Protection Systems: Building Integrated Systems for Comprehensiveness and Financial Inclusion is, therefore, a major step that will showcase to the world what we are doing in Kaduna State in the area of Social Protection.
“We require support and cooperation in the following areas: Enhancing and increasing the coverage of key programmes around governance; Improving the delivery of basic services for the poor with a focus on health, education and social protection; Supporting economic recovery through inclusive growth and development with particular focus on social protection systems strengthening and youth employment, as well as climate-smart development; and Financial Inclusion and Financial Literacy for the Poor and Vulnerable,” he said.
The Governor acknowledged the contributions made by their implementing partners like the World Bank, Save the Children International, GAIN, and UNICEF, as well as the indigenous Kaduna Social Protection Accountability Coalition for co-organizing the Summit with the Kaduna State Government, and for their dedication to the wellbeing of all residents of the State.
The Special Adviser to the Governor on Social Investment, Bridget Suleiman Adamu said that the summit was aimed at providing a platform for multi-stakeholder dialogue, adding that the summit is not merely a gathering; but an opportunity for all stakeholders to engage in meaningful discussions about the strategies that will shape the future of social protection in Kaduna State.
“We can create systems that are more effective, more inclusive, and better aligned with the needs of our people. By leveraging financial inclusion and the social register. We seek to generate far-reaching recommendations that will accelerate the adoption and utilization of social protection.
“These recommendations are not intended to be mere words on paper; they represent actionable steps that, when implemented, will lead to a more robust and responsive social protection system,” said.
