Sani unveils maiden Kaduna Social Protection Summit

Gov. Uba Sani of Kaduna State has highlighted his administration’s commitment to alleviating poverty and improving the lives of vulnerable groups in the state.

Sani made this known during the inaugural Kaduna State Social Protection Summit held on Tuesday in Kaduna.

He said, ”Since we came to office in May 2023, we have implemented several pro-poor measures, including signing an Executive Order on Financial Inclusion.

”It aims to ensure that the poor, underserved, and vulnerable citizens of Kaduna State have access to financial services and social intervention programmes.”

Sani revealed that 2 million bank accounts have already been opened for these groups, with a target of 2.5 million accounts.

He also signed into law the State Social Security Bill and the Kaduna State Social Investment Programmes Bill, which established an agency to coordinate social protection interventions across the state.

The administration’s flagship programmes include: The State Universal Child Grant Programme, the Ultra-Poor Graduation Programme for Women in Rural Areas, and the State Old-Age Social Pension Scheme for the Informal Sector.

The summit was themed “Rethinking Social Protection Systems: Building Integrated Systems for Comprehensiveness and Financial Inclusion”.

He said this serves as a platform to showcase Kaduna’s efforts in social protection and to develop innovative strategies to further alleviate poverty.

The Special Adviser to the Governor on Social Investment, Mrs Bridget Suleman, emphasised the summit’s role in fostering dialogue among the stakeholders and generating actionable recommendations for improving social protection systems.

She stressed the importance of financial inclusion and the social register in creating a more equitable society

The aide also called for enhanced partnerships to ensure the effective implementation of social protection initiatives.

It was reported that the summit marks a significant step in the state’s ongoing efforts to build a more inclusive and resilient social protection system.

This is with the goal of empowering all the citizens to achieve economic independence and social mobility.