In a drastic effort to eradicate poverty and address issues of vulnerability in Kaduna state, government has strengthened collaboration with partners on social protection programs to assist in building capacity and a robust system towards realizing expected outcomes.
The State focal person, on Social Investment Programmes Mrs. Saude Amina Atoyebi stated this in a message at the dessimination of Social Protection Budget performance in Kaduna state organized by the Kaduna State Social Protection Accountability Coalition in collaboration with Save The Children International.
She said the state government has outlined eight areas of interest in its social protection programmes which include, free and compulsory education, contributory health insurance scheme, contributory pension scheme, needs based scholarship among many others all directed at addressing poverty and vulnerability.
Mrs. Saude Amina Atoyebi emphasized that about three million poor and vulnerable individuals resident in the state across the twenty three local government areas have been captured into the state social register , while several intervention programmes are being implemented for them.
According to her, for every intervention there will be grassroot sensitization for citizens awareness and successful implementation of the programme.
Presenting the budget performance for year twenty twenty one, Mr. Yusuf Goje of Kaduna State Social Protection Accountability Coalition said the report captured eleven ministries, departments and agencies which all have budget allocation for social protection.
He stated that thirty three point nine billion naira was allocated to the MDAs for social protection interventions but only twenty four point one was released.
Mr. Goje stated that there was zero releases for social protection programs to ministry of Agriculture, Community and Social Development Agency and Disability Board.
He however commended government for the open government partnership policy and its attention to social protection programme , which should not be allowed to fail because of the implications to the society especially on security.
Some participants at the event urged the government to release timely and adequate information to stakeholders in respect to the open government partnership policy.
Cover/Shindong Bala