The National Social Protection Forum, NSPF has commended the Kano State Government for its commitment to allocate 10% of the state’s budget in 2022 to improve the delivery of social protection programmes in the state.
NSPF, a coalition of Civil Society Organizations drawn from all the 36 states and FCT, in a press statement signed by the executives, gave the commendation on the hinge of the recognition by the Kano State government to engender citizens’ rights to a life of dignity, through social protection.
Among other things, the NSPF mentioned that the decisions of the Kano State Government will help to “Reduce poverty among the people vulnerable to being poor; Empower the poor and people vulnerable to economic shocks; Enhance human capital development to ensure a life of dignity; Provide guiding principles for managing social protection projects and programmes;
“Promote social cohesion, equity and inclusive growth; Ensure citizens have access to basic social services and infrastructure; Provide social welfare and improve food security and nutrition; Ensure decent employment and sustainable livelihood; Protect individuals and households from shocks that can make them fall into extreme poverty”
The group thereafter requested that the state government’s commitment should be targeted towards achieving the Policy measures of the Social Protection Policy which broadly captures Education and health services; Social housing; Social welfare and child protection; Livelihood enhancement and employment; Social insurance schemes; Social assistance; Traditional family and community support; and Legislation and regulation.
NSPF also appealed for the passage into law, the proposed Bill amendment for Persons with Disability with a key focus to establish the commission for PWDs by the end of 2022.
It was also recommended that, “the budgetary allocation should be disbursed on time and be well coordinated, and be targeted to achieve the highlighted thematic objectives.”