From Femi Mustapha, in Kaduna
Amidst efforts to reduce poverty in the country, the European Union has provided €1 million for the implementation of the Act Naija Project aimed at strengthening Social Protection in Nigeria.
The three-year project, to be implemented by Bread For the World (BSW), Africa Network for Environment and Economic Justice (ANEEJ), and New Initiative for Sustainable Development (NISD), would be carried out in seven states including Enugu, Borno, Delta, Kogi, Ondo, Ekiti, and Osun, and the Federal Capital Territory.
The Deputy Executive Director of ANEEJ, Mr. Leo Atakpu, during the official kick-off of the project, said the project intends to reach out to 2,120 individuals, including 149 civil society organizations, 30 community-based organizations, and five persons with disability.
Others are 1,000 women group members, including 30 traders and farmers, 300 youth leaders, 60 media professionals, 80 government officials, private sector/international agencies, and 45 internally displaced persons in Borno State.
He said the €1 million project was being funded by the European Union under its Human Rights and Support to Civil Society in Nigeria program.
The Coalition, in a statement, pointed out that social protection is one of the essential mechanisms for reducing poverty and inequality and promoting social justice, but unfortunately, studies have shown that social protection in Nigeria is insufficiently developed to address the needs of the vulnerable people in Nigeria.
The statement said it is on this basis that the “Act Naija” project is aimed at engaging CSOs to advocate for the needs of all stakeholders, including women, youths, and PWDs, building their capacities to access and exercise their rights.
It said, “The project aligns with national and international goals of the Agenda 2030, awareness campaigns, and educational sessions for the communities on social protection programs, contributing to eradicating poverty, as framed in SDG 1 (No poverty), and contributing to SDGs 16 (Peace, justice, and strong institutions) and 17 (Partnership for goals).”
The overall objective and impact of the project, according to the statement, is to contribute to reducing poverty in Nigeria with enhanced dialogue, collaboration, and engagement between civil society and government around inclusive social protection policies, monitoring, and accountability.
It added that the project would address the diverse needs of Nigeria’s vulnerable populations through partnerships between key stakeholders and enhanced dialogue, which will facilitate a deeper understanding of the challenges and opportunities within social protection frameworks as well as leverage the expertise and resources of both civil society, the private sector, and government entities.
The project, according to the statement, is expected to lead to robust policy development and improved implementation and monitoring of social protection interventions and ultimately build a more equitable social protection environment where policies and programs are better designed and delivered to reduce multidimensional poverty in Nigeria.
