Communique issued at the end of the CSO Leaders Forum on Social Protection and Sustainable Development held on Wednesday April 3rd, 2024 at Reiz Continental Hotel, Abuja.
Preamble:
The Civil Society Leaders Forum on Social Protection and Sustainable Development formerly known as Civil Society Leaders Forum on Social Protection, is made up of Civil Society Leaders who are committed to Social Protection for Citizens in Nigeria. The Forum was formed to articulate and project the wishes, voices and aspirations of citizens and citizen groups in the formulation, implementation, and evaluation of social protection programmes. The group’s approach to work is anchored on the principles of co-creation and partnership between government and citizens promoted by the Open Government Partnership (OGP) and Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).
The group is conscious that Social Protection has been acknowledged across the world as a veritable way to reduce poverty. Unfortunately, Nigeria has not benefited fully from the implementation of a comprehensive Social Protection Programme.
The Forum is made up of Civil Society Leaders of over 20 organisations including the African Network for Environment and Economic Justice (ANEEJ); Women Advocates, Research and Documentation Centre (WARD C), African Centre for Leadership, Strategy & Development (Centre LSD), Equity Advocates, Food Basket Nigeria, Lawyers Alert, Foundation for Environmental Rights, Advocacy and Development, Socio-Economic Rights and Development Centre, Centre for Citizens with Disabilities, Centre for Technology and Development; Youth Alive Foundation; Kebetkache Women Development and Resource Centre; Centre for Transparency Advocacy; Value Rebirth and Empowerment Initiative; Conscience for Human Rights and Conflict Resolution, Meluibe Foundation, Persons With Disabilities Action Network ( PEDANET), Socio Economic Research and Development Centre (SERDEC).
Observation
The meeting made the following observations:
I. The Forum commends the government of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu for its efforts at bringing different kinds of palliatives to alleviate the poverty and sufferings of Nigerians especially the poorest of the poor. The Forum further stated that this effort must not be allowed die.
II. The Forum frowns at the constant decline of the nation’s social protection programme from successive administration to date.
III. The level of poverty and inequality is very high. Nigeria’s ranking on the United Nation Human Development Index (HDI) has been at all-time low. The 2022 index shows that Nigeria is placed at 161 out of 193 countries and territories in the just released 2023-24 human development report released in March 2024.
IV. The Forum noted that the issues around the discrepancies identified in the social protection register has yet to be taken seriously and acted upon by the relevant authorities.
V. The Forum also observed that since the suspension of the Minister of Humanitarian Affairs as well as the National Coordinator of Social Investment Programme, there is no public knowledge on the status of the implementation of the social protection programme of government.
Recommendations
The meeting made the following recommendations:
• The Forum enjoins the government to resuscitate and sustain the efforts at alleviating poverty and bring millions of Nigerians out of abject sufferings. This effort must not be allowed die.
• We urge the government to fully resume implementation of the social protection programmes introduced by the successive governments.
• Government should do everything within its powers to improve Nigeria’s social protection programme ratings.
• Government needs to response to the people’s outcry on the credibility of the social register. The social register needs to reviewed capture and reflect people who have been pushed into poverty as the result of the current economic realities occasioned by the subsidy removal. We urge the government to work assiduously to clean and straighten the discrepancies identified in the social protection register to capture accurately the data of those targeted by the programme.
• Nigeria’s social protection programme which is implemented in bits and pieces by different government agencies, should be strengthened and coordinated in order to deliver the desired social protection programmes.
Conclusion
The CSO leaders Forum on Social Protection and Sustainable Development strongly believe that a major way to dealing with the challenges of poverty is the adoption and implementation of social protection policies and programmes. The government has a chance with history to strengthen and continue with the implementation of the programme particularly with the rate of poverty in the land. The Forum expressed its desire to continue to engage with key government institutions including the executive and legislative arms to provide knowledge and evidence based information required for government to make progress with the poverty reduction programme. It called on Nigerians to keep faith noting that government cannot afford to renege on the implementation of social protection programme at this time but all Nigerians need to do is to engage the issues from their little corners.
Signed
1. Leo Atakpu – African Network for Environment and Economic Justice
2. Emmanuela Azu – Women Advocates, Research and Documentation Centre
3. Lawal Amodu – African Centre for Leadership, Strategy & Development
4. Funmi Akinyele – Food Basket Foundation Nigeria
5. Rommy Mom – Lawyers Alert
6. Otive Igbuzor -African Centre for Leadership, Strategy & Development
7. Nelson Nwafor – Foundation for Environmental Rights, Advocacy and Development
8. Tijani Abdulkareem- Socio Economic Research and Development Centre SERDEC
9. David Anyaele – Centre for Citizens with Disabilities
10. Y. Z Ya’U -Centre for Technology and Development
11. Faith Nwadishi – Centre for Transparency Advocacy
12. Egedegbe Edewor -Value Rebirth and Empowerment Initiative
13. Idris Miliki – Conscience for Human Rights and Conflict Resolution
14. Obialunanma Nnaobi-Ayodele – Meluibe Foundation
15. Betram Ubaka – Persons With Disabilities Action Network ( PEDANET)
16. Faith Nwadishi – Centre for Transparency Advocacy
