The Sokoto State Government has reaffirmed its commitment to reducing poverty and improving residents’ welfare, with the 23 local government areas expected to create dedicated budget lines for social protection programmes.
The Commissioner for Budget and Economic Development, Dr. Bashir Muhammad Achida, disclosed this at a one-day policy dialogue on social protection financing involving the 23 local government chairmen.
Achida said the state government was strengthening its social protection framework to improve implementation and ensure vulnerable residents benefited from programmes designed to enhance their living conditions.
He said the ministry had developed a Social Protection Policy Document to guide interventions and align them with Governor Ahmed Aliyu’s nine-point SMART Agenda.
“Social protection has come to stay in Sokoto State. We must work collectively to ensure our people enjoy a life of dignity,” the commissioner said.
The Chairman of the Association of Local Governments of Nigeria (ALGON) in Sokoto State, Abba Shehu Tambuwal, assured the state government that local councils would make provisions for social protection in their annual budgets.
The commitment is expected to strengthen local government participation in financing welfare programmes and support efforts to reach vulnerable households across the state.
UNICEF Social Policy Specialist, Isah Ibrahim, disclosed that Sokoto was among four states receiving support from the European Union for social protection initiatives.
He said the state had the potential to become a model for social protection delivery in Nigeria, while indicating that the EU was considering increasing its investment in Sokoto by 2027.
The dialogue provided a platform for the state government, local government authorities and development partners to discuss financing arrangements and strengthen coordination for the implementation of social protection programmes.
The renewed commitment places emphasis on sustainable funding, institutional coordination and targeted interventions to improve the welfare of vulnerable people across Sokoto State.
