Nigeria Can Tackle Poverty Through Stringent Social Protection Interventions— EU

The European Union on Saturday said the increasing rate of poverty in Nigeria could be tackled through stringent financing of social protection interventions.

The Head of Cooperation of the EU Delegation to Nigeria and ECOWAS, Massimo De Luca, said this at the third edition of the Social Protection Cross-Learning Summit in Abuja.

Luca said the intervention is a fundamental pillar supporting the most vulnerable and poor households, providing not only a safety net but also a beacon of hope for poor and vulnerable individuals and communities

He said it is critical to reduce poverty across the country as the World Bank’s report put Nigeria’s poor population at 104 million.

“Investing in social protection means investing in our collective future, fostering resilience, and ensuring that every individual has the opportunity to contribute meaningfully to society despite background, location or uncertainties.

“The EU is supporting Nigeria’s social protection sector to the tune of €46m in its 2021 to 2027 programming, to support system strengthening and design of social safety nets programs.

“Already we are finalising processes with UNICEF and GIZ to implement the project in the focal states.

The summit was organised by the Federal Ministry of Finance in collaboration with the Social Protection Development Partner Group with the theme: ‘Social protection towards human capital development.’