Kaduna Social Protection Accountability Coalition

I had the honour today of declaring open the maiden Kaduna State Social Protection Summit with the theme "Rethinking Social Protection Systems: Building Integrated Systems for Comprehensiveness and Financial Inclusion.” The summit which is holding at Yar'Adua Conference Hall, Murtala Square, Kaduna was organized to showcase to the world what we are doing in Kaduna State in the area of Social Protection. It will also be devoted to sharing experiences in the implementation of social intervention programmes and fashioning effective strategies for fighting poverty and addressing food insecurity. Since we assumed office in May 2023, we have placed high premium on bringing succor to the poor, vulnerable and the underserved in Kaduna State. We have been carrying out pro-poor measures to bring needed relief to our citizens. Few days after I took the oath of office, I signed an Executive Order on Financial Inclusion to address the exclusion of the poor, under-served and vulnerable from financial services and ensure that they benefit from social intervention programs of Kaduna State and the Federal Government. The aim is to empower people with tools like savings accounts, credit, insurance, and digital payment options, enabling them to participate in the formal financial system, manage their finances, and build economic resilience. We set for ourselves the target of facilitating the opening of 2.5 million bank accounts for poor, vulnerable and underserved citizens of Kaduna State. Through our efforts, 2 million bank accounts have been opened. We are working assiduously to ensure that bank accounts are opened for the remaining 500,000 less privileged citizens of Kaduna State. I also signed into law the State Social Security Bill and the Kaduna State Social Investment Programmes Bill which created an agency to coordinate all national and sub-national social protection interventions in the State. We have developed a credible Social Register for Social Intervention Programs. Because of the effective implementation of the Executive Order on Financial Inclusion, especially the opening of bank accounts and development of a credible Social Register, our previously excluded citizens are now able to benefit from Kaduna State and Federal Government's social intervention programs. I have given approval for the design of 3 Flagship Social Protection Programmes and would seek the collaboration of national and international development agencies to effectively implement them. The programmes are as follows: (i) Kaduna State Universal Child Grant Programme (ii) Ultra-Poor Graduation Programme for Women in Rural Areas, and (iii) Kaduna State Old-Age Social Pension Scheme for the Informal Sector We have impacted on the lives of our citizens through our social protection programmes, but challenges remain. We must continue to refine our processes and come up with creative and innovative strategies to pull our citizens out of poverty. We require support and cooperation of national and international development agencies to improve the delivery of basic services for the poor with focus on health, education and social protection. We also need support to implement programmes on financial inclusion and literacy for the poor and vulnerable, humanitarian response focusing on internally displaced persons (IDPs), improving peace, safety and security, and improving fiscal sustainability and integrity of public finance/expenditure. I would like to acknowledge and appreciate the contributions of the following partners to the progress so far made in bringing succor to the poor, vulnerable and underserved in Kaduna State: the World Bank, Save the Children International, GAIN, and UNICEF. I also appreciate the efforts of our indigenous Kaduna Social Protection Accountability Coalition for co-organizing the Social Protection Summit with the Kaduna State Government, and for their dedication to the wellbeing of all residents of the State.