Enugu state Governor , Dr. Peter Mbah has inuagurated Enugu State Steering Committee on Social Protection Policy to improve key aspects of human capital development in the state.
Inuagurating the Committee in Government House,Enugu, Tuesday, Governor Mbah, who was represented by the Secretary to the State Government, Prof Chidiebere Onyia, expressed the hope that the Committee will be dynamic and the plan will be sustainable.
He said the government will fasttrack the bill to strengthen the mechanism of the institution.
SSG, Prof Onyia
“Our hope is to make sure the Internally Generated Revenue (IGR)is lifted up. We met 2 billion, raised it to 4 billion. We will be able to plug in database where we thought there will be leakages. Transparency is important to Government. They will be data driven. It’s going to be emperical”, he said.
Governor Mbah who promised that the state government will pay the matching fund, said, “the matching fund is what we are looking out for . We will first grow our economic base. Move people from poverty to economic reliability”.
Pix-Committee members
Earlier, United Nations Children’s Fund, UNICEF, Enugu Chief of Field Office Juliet Chiluwe, said Social protection has been the bedrock of development even for developed countries as they budget between 20-26% of their GDP on Social Protection. The US budgets about $1.2 trillion annually on social protection while the UK in 2023, budgeted 327 billion pounds on social protection which is more than health, education, and special duties.
She added that social protection is cross-cutting, and multi-sectoral.
UNICEF has continuously supported the Enugu State Government to achieve the Development objectives of the state . She said currently, UNICEF is supporting the revision of the Enugu State Social Protection Policy.
“We are glad Enugu state is on the path to sustainable development with this policy which has the overarching goal to establish a gender-sensitive, inclusive and lifecycle framework to ensure a life of dignity for all citizens of Enugu state
“We understand this policy will improve key aspects of human capital development in the state including social assistance, social care, social insurance, labour market interventions, micro and small enterprises development, complementary measures for social protection and strengthening social protection system in Enugu state” she said.
Chiluwe said UNICEF will facilitate the development of the institutional framework for Social Protection through a bill for Social Protection in the state; strengthen the implementation mechanism for Social Protection through the creation and funding of the Social Protection Department to be domiciled in the State Economic Planning Commission as contained in the Policy.
She said ,”State will progressively earmark NGN 752,295,878,127 billion to fund social protection in the state; the funding value is NGN379,080,179,714 in 2024 and rises to NGN 752,295,878,127 in 2027 through the prioritization and progressive realization model.
“Facilitate the approval of the Multi-sectoral plan for nutrition which enhances the development nexus in relation to social protection.”
She said the implementation plan will be presented next week.
Chairm.
the Committee is the Deputy Governor, Ifeanyi Ossai. Members are Enugu Chief of Field Office, UNICEF, Juliet Chiluwe, Commissioner for Human Capital and Poverty Eradication, Malachy Agbo, Commissioner for Children and Gender, Mrs Ngozi Eni,, Agriculture and Agro Industrialization, and Water Resource
Florence Ifeanyi Aneke,NGO, Crownwell Chibuzor,CSO, Professor Nworgu,
among others.
Author: Maureen Ikpeama