UNICEF Country Representative in Nigeria, Cristine Munduate has said the Nigerian government must address the issue of economic uncertainty in fragile and conflict-affected societies.
This is as she noted that Nigeria should define social protection measures relevant to the needs of the citizens.
Mundute made this call on Sunday at the maiden conference organized by the Conflict Research Network, West Africa (CORN) themed ‘Social protection and economic uncertainties in fragile and conflict-affected societies’, held in Abuja.
She said it was noteworthy that the financial hardships faced by families in such fragile societies exacerbated their already daunting challenges, and called for more strategic actions from the government.
Speaking in the same vein, Development Director, British High Commission, Chris Pycroft, noted that social protection systems that support a range of human development outcomes were highly effective at mitigating unprecedented risks.
Pycroft also called for carefully targeted measures to support those most in need and operate at scale to prevent individuals and communities from regressing further.
Speaking, the Director, CORN, Dr Tarila Marclint Ebiede advised President Bola Tinubu not to allow the social protection policy under his watch to be hijacked by politics.
He held that the operation of social protection policy in the country was at the risk of such political hijack.
He added that the consequence was that the inherent benefit of social protection intervention for the vulnerable may be in jeopardy.
Speaking further, Ebiede called for more research on social protection in Nigeria so that there should be transparency in the use of social protection funding.
The CORN director said that the findings of the research presented at the conference indicated that though the idea of social protection is good, there was a need to address the root causes of vulnerability.
Ebiede said, “efficient social protection system should be transparent with the social register. It is also important for the government to know that social protection alone does not address poverty.
“The government must implement economic programs that will address poverty in a sustainable way. The government should intensify efforts to improve the economic conditions of the people rather than concentrating on social protection.”
On his part, Professor Remi Aiyede, who is a political scientist at the University Ibadan and doubles as the Research and Policy Uptake Lead, Partnership for African Social and Governance Research (PASGR), Nairobi, Kenya warned that palliatives must not be distributed as patronage to party members.
Rather, he said they should reach the targeted poorest of the poor. Delivering his keynote entitled ‘Social Protection in Times of Crisis’.
Aiyede stated that it is insensitive and provocative for the government to be involved in self-aggrandisement while the majority of Nigerians adopt belt-tightening measures.
Aiyede who is Professor of Political Institutions, Governance and Public Policy stated that “It must be emphasised that the recent focus of social protection on cash transfers is inadequate to achieve the required transformation of social conditions that the developmental state is expected to bring about.
“Cash transfers and other social assistance programmes focus on chronic poverty and often to neglect of the issues of inequality. The goal of social protection under the developmental state is to achieve shared prosperity by building an inclusive society. Social protection should encompass pillars of social services, social assistance, social insurance; and social promotion.”
Among others present at the event were a community of practice made up of scholars and NGO practitioners to sustain research on social protection in Nigeria and co-chaired by Dr. Saheed Owonikoko of Adama Modibo University and Mr. Vicor Ogharanduku of Save the Children.
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