Social Protection Policy in Nigeria at Risk of Political Hijack, Tinubu  Told

Kemi Olaitan in Ibadan

A don, Dr. Tarila Marclint Ebiede, has urged President Bola Tinubu, not to allow social protection policy under his watch to be hijacked by politics.

Ebiede, who is the Director, Conflict Research Network, West Africa (CORN), said the operation of social protection policy in the country seems to be at the risk of such political hijack thereby denying the vulnerable the inherent benefit in social protection intervention.

This is just as a political scientist at the University Ibadan and Research and Policy Uptake Lead, Partnership for African Social and Governance Research (PASGR), Nairobi, Kenya, Prof. Remi Aiyede, warned that palliatives must not be distributed as patronage to party members but properly targeted to the poorest of the poor.

Ebiede while speaking at the maiden conference organised by CORN with the theme, “Social protection and economic uncertainties in fragile and conflict affected societies”, in Abuja, called for more research on social protection in Nigeria to ensure transparent and impactful use of social protection funding.

He said the findings of the research presented in the conference indicated that though the idea of social protection is good there is a need to address the root causes of vulnerability.

According to him, “Efficient social protection system should be transparent with the social register. It is also important for the government to know that social protection alone does not address poverty. The government must implement economic programs that will address poverty in a sustainable way. The government should intensify efforts to improve the economic conditions of the people rather than concentrating on social protection.”

Aiyede in his keynote address entitled, “Social protection in times of crisis”,  said it is insensitive and provocative for government officials to be involved in conspicuous spending that reinforce self-aggrandisement in the face of belt tightening and hunger by majority of citizens.

The professor of Political Institutions, Governance and Public Policy, said: “It must be emphasised that the recent focus of social protection on cash transfers is inadequate to achieve the required transformation of social conditions that the developmental state is expected to bring about. Cash transfers and other social assistance programmes focus on chronic poverty and often to the neglect of the issues of inequality.

“The goal of social protection under the developmental state is to achieve shared prosperity by building an inclusive society. Social protection should encompass pillars of social services, social assistance, social insurance; and social promotion.”

Also speaking, the Development Director of the British High Commission, Chris Pycroft, said: “Social protection systems that support a range of human development outcomes that are carefully targeted to support those most in need, and operate at scale to prevent individuals and communities from falling behind are highly effective at mitigating the unprecedented risks.”

During the conference, UNICEF Country Representative in Nigeria, Cristine Munduate admonished that “we must address the pressing issue of economic uncertainty in fragile and conflict affected societies and support the government to define social protection measures relevant to the needs of the citizens, the financial hardships faced by families in such regions exacerbate the already daunting challenges.”

 At the conference, a community of practice made up of scholars and NGO practitioners to sustain research on social protection in Nigeria and co-chaired by Dr. Saheed Owonikoko of Adama Modibo University and Mr. Victor Ogharanduku of Save the Children, was inaugurated