NSIP: Humanitarian ministry seeks cooperation of stakeholders to achieve mandate

The Minister Humanitarian Affairs, Disaster Management and Social Development, Hajia Sadiya Umar Farouq has demanded the maximum understanding and cooperation of all stakeholders to achieve its mandate on the National Social Investment Programme.

The Minister disclosed this during a two day stakeholders’ forum on Define Social Protection Floors in Suleja.

Represented by the acting Director of Social Development Department, Mansur Kulliyah, the Minister said the Ministry is committed to protecting the poor and marginalized groups in the society by reducing their economic and social vulnerability.

She said: “The Ministry and its agencies will continue to render services to Nigerians in humanitarian situations effectively, and implement policies that will drive Social Development and facilitate economic inclusion for the benefit of the most vulnerable in the country especially through the N-power, Government Enterprise and Empowerment Programme (GEEP), Conditional Cash Transfer as well as the National Home Grown School Feeding Programme and other programmes rolled out by the present administration.

“The Social protection can be viewed broadly as all public and private initiatives that provides income or consumption transfers to the poor, protect the vulnerable against destitution, and enhance the social status and rights of the marginalized with the overall objective of reducing the economic and social vulnerability of the poor and the marginalized groups”.

She further enjoin stakeholders to continue in their support of the institutional coordination mechanisms by facilitating inter-sectorial working relationship.

She also assured participants at the forum that the Ministry is committed to ensuring that the strategic objectives of all the social intervention programs are achieved.

Also, National Coordinator, National Social Investment Programme (NSIP), Engr. Umar Bindir said poverty is one of the major challenges comfronting the country today which can be tackled through education and transfer of knowledge. He proposed that Universities must change to become production and entrepreneurship centers.

He further stated that all programmes of the NSIP will be centrally coordinated and monitored with a view to making the overall impacts transparently felt by all.

Deputy Director Population and Development Department, Federal Ministry of Finance, Budget and National Planning, Mr. Obadaru Gbenga, disclosed that, the Ministry of Budget and National Planning is in the process of finalizing the review of the draft National Social Protection Policy.

He said that the Technical Working Group meeting (TWG) and other critical stakeholders on the draft review of National Social Protection Policy (NSPP) will meet on the 2nd of December, 2021.

He also said that a High Level Policy Dialogue on the Draft Revised National Social Protection Policy, is being organized to discuss the draft NSPP and any likely issues that need the attention of Ministries, Departments and Agencies in the Social Protection Space.