… pledge to tackle poverty through initiative
The Oyo State Government on Monday, launched the Sustainable Social Protection Initiative in Nigeria (SUSI) for Oyo State.
The initiative, funded by the European Union (EU) with the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) and the International Labour Organisation (ILO) as partners, seeks to bolster Oyo State’s social protection structures, ensuring more comprehensive coverage and aid for vulnerable groups across the state.
Oyo State is one of the four states and the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) where the SUSI programme is being implemented.
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Speaking at the launch, held at the Executive Chamber of the Governor’s Office,
Acting Governor Barrister Bayo Lawal explained that the initiative represents a landmark achievement in the collective quest to promote social inclusion, strengthen human capital, and advance sustainable development in Oyo State.
According to him, “In Oyo State, we have consistently prioritized social protection as a cornerstone of our governance agenda. Over the past few years, deliberate investments have been made to reduce poverty, expand healthcare coverage, and improve access to targeted social interventions. Notably, in the current year, we strengthened the State Operations Coordinating Unit (SOCU) to expand the social register, adding approximately 24,000 households—translating to more than 100,000 individuals—who now stand eligible for one form of intervention or another.”
Lawal added, “A flagship of these efforts is the Sustainable Action for Economic Recovery (SAfER) initiative. The SAfER initiative is one of Oyo State’s flagship social protection and economic resilience programmes, designed to cushion citizens from the socioeconomic shocks of the national reforms, particularly the removal of fuel subsidies, while promoting inclusive growth and human development.”
Acting Governor gave some accomplishments of the SAfER initiative as the distribution of food packages to over 200,000 households, including targeted support to security personnel and other critical groups, disbursement of ₦500 million in loans to small businesses and ₦1 billion in grants to strengthen food production and security, introduction of 46 subsidized buses to mitigate transportation expenses for citizens, provision of free healthcare services to more than 40,000 pensioners and extension of health insurance coverage to an additional 150,000 vulnerable persons including prisoners and support to 1,000 poultry farmers and continued investment in the Youth Entrepreneurship in Agribusiness Project (YEAP).
UNICEF Field Office for the Southwest, Ms. Celine Lafoucriere, emphasized the critical role of robust social protection systems in safeguarding the rights and well-being of vulnerable groups, adding that social protection is a vital mechanism for reducing poverty and promoting inclusive development. She said with the EU’s support and in collaboration with the ILO, UNICEF is committed to working with Oyo State to build a more resilient and effective social protection system.
The event was also attended by the Deputy Speaker of Oyo State House of Assembly, Rt Hon. Abiodun Fadeyi, who represented the Speaker; the Chairman, House Committee on Local Government and Chieftaincy Matters, Hon Akintunde Emmanuel; the Secretary to Oyo State Government, Professor Olanike Adeyemo; Commissioner for Establishment and Training, Prof. Salihu Adelabu; Commissioner for Local Government and Chieftaincy Matters, Hon Demola Ojo; Attorney General and Commissioner for Justice, Barr Abiodun Aikomo; Commissioner for Education, Science and Technology, Hon Segun Olayiwola; Commissioner for Agriculture, Barr Olasunkanmi Olaleye; Commissioner for Information and Orientation, Prince Dotun Oyelade; Executive Assistant to the Governor on Budget, Alhaji Gafar Bello; Special Adviser to the Governor on Budget and Economic Planning, Hon Simeon Oyeleke and Chairman of Local Government Chairmen, Hon Sikiru Sanda.
Others include Mr. Guite Diop, Regional Project Manager, ILO; Zarema Yazhanova, Social Policy Manager, UNICEF Nigeria; Muhammad Okorie, Social Policy Manager, UNICEF; Emmanuel Danjuma, Project Manager, ILO, Abuja; and Hope Oduma, Social Policy Officer, UNICEF.
