FG Inaugurates Committee to Implement, Track Social Interventions

James Emejo in Abuja

The Minister of Budget and Economic Planning, Sen. Atiku Bagudu, has inaugurated the Community of Practice (COP) on the implementation of the National Social Protection Policy (NSPP) across the country.

The CoP which consists of development partners and nominees of the various key relevant MDAs, seeks to enhance the implementation of social protection programmes at both the state and federal level.

Speaking at the ceremony, Bagudu said NSPP is structured along four pillars of social assistance, social care, social insurance and labour market interventions to alleviate poverty.

He pointed out that though MDAs, state and non-state actors had been implementing schemes around these pillars, there are still critical gaps in linkages and synergy across programmes and projects with no formal interaction platforms in the MDAs that could bring the various skills and specialties together.

Represented by the Permanent Secretary, Federal Ministry of Budget and National Planning, Mr. Nebolisa Anako, the minister said the ministry decided to establish a CoP for the social protection actors across the MDAS for the implementation of the policy

He noted that though a national policy, the implementation will reside mainly at the sub-national level of government, adding that it will be part of the mandate of the CoP to ensure that the body is replicated across the states to facilitate progress at the state level.