ZAMFARA GOVT COMMENDS DEVELOPMENT PARTNERS FOR STRENGTHENING SOCIAL PROTECTION PROGRAMMES

ZAMFARA GOVT COMMENDS DEVELOPMENT PARTNERS FOR STRENGTHENING SOCIAL PROTECTION PROGRAMMES

The Zamfara Government has commended Uk Aid and Foreign Commonwealth Development Office (FCDO)-funded project “Expanding Social Protection for Inclusive Development (ESPID)” for strengthening social protection programmes in the state.

The Permanent Secretary, Ministry for Higher Education, Alhaji Yakubu Tsafe, made the commendation in Gusau at the Bi-Monthly meeting of the state’s Technical Working Group (TWG) on Social Protection.
The meeting was organised by Save the Children International (SCI), an NGO.

The ESPID project is being implemented in the state by the SCI.
The permanent secretary, who chaired the meeting, said that the contributions given to the state by UKAid, FCDO through the SCI in the areas of capacity building to policy makers and other relevant stakeholders were timely and needful.

He called on the social protection line Ministries Departments and Agencies (MDAs) to utilise the opportunities and ensure implementation of policies in line with the aim and objectives of the project.
He assured state government’s readiness to continue collaborating with relevant stakeholders in changing the lives of vulnerable groups to a better status.

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During the meeting, various MDAs presented updates of their performance on social protection programmes.
While giving update from Zamfara Agency for Poverty Alleviation (ZAPA), the Director, Operations of the agency, Sani Nagwaggo,said that the agency recently empowered 700 vulnerable persons through cash transfer programme initiated by the state government.

According to him, each of the beneficiaries received N10,000 as assistance to establish small scale businesses.
Mr Yusuf Sabo, the Director, Legislative Matters to the State House of Assembly, said that the house had assured speedy passageof the Social Protection, Child Protection and Disability bills.

He added that all the three bills passed second reading and currently undergoing legislative processes before their passage.
Malam Nasiru Biyabiki, the Chairman, Zamfara Social Protection Platform (ZSPP), a Civil Society Organisation working to promote social protection programmes, commended MDAs in the state for their positive responses to social protection issues.

Biyabiki assured continued support and cooperation to media practitioners and members of CSOs in creating awareness about the programme.

Earlier, the Advocacy and Communication Coordinator of the ESPID project in the state, Mr Nura Muhammad, said the meeting was part of activities to support and ensure passage of the social protection and other related bills by the state house of assembly.

According to him, one of the objectives of the meeting is to discuss the status of the social protection bills currently before the state assembly.

During the meeting, the SCI presented an update on findings of social protection and education sector in the state.

Various stakeholders who reacted to the findings called for ways to improve standard of education in the state.