FG Inaugurates TWG to Review Social Protection Policy in 2021-2025

ABUJA – (Budget & National Planning Report) – The Federal Government has inaugurated a Technical Working Group for the review of the National Social Protection Policy 2021-2025.

Speaking at the occasion in Abuja, the Permanent Secretary for Budget and National Planning, Olusola Idowu said that the inauguration was aimed at bringing together all relevant stakeholders for the review of the National Social Protection Policy (NSP). She also revealed that its implementation which commenced in 2007 is billed to end in  December 2020.

According to her, the essence of the review was to accommodate some emerging issues on the social protection programme across sectors at both the national and sub-national levels of Government. She further stated that the policy recommended its review to be carried out every four years and that the implementation of the policy was currently in the 3rd year.

The Permanent Secretary maintained that Nigeria needs to see COVID – 19 as an opportunity to strengthen her social protection programmes as well as intervention strategies to accommodate all relevant actors and sectors of social protection. She added that the Group would be expected to come up with a revised edition of the current National Social Protection Policy given the following terms of reference:

1. Evaluate the efficiency of the National Social Protection Policy in addressing social protection of the vulnerable people since 2017;
2. Incorporate all relevant global emerging issues in social protection;

• Establish clear roles and responsibilities for all relevant stakeholders in social protection in Nigeria, amongst others.

In his presentation earlier, the Director in the Department of Social Development, Budget and National Planning, A. B Sa’Adu noted that the overall objective of the gathering was to commence the review of the Social Protection Policy as well as ensure its responsiveness to emerging issues in social protection.

He informed the Group that their collective efforts and collaboration is key to achieving the objective in the national assignment.