The Anambra government says its Social Protection Policy will be ready for implementation in January 2023.
Ms Chiamaka Nnake, the Anambra Commissioner for Budget and Economic Planning, said this at a Stakeholders Validation of the Draft Policy Document in partnership with Africa Network For Environment and Economic Justice (ANEEJ) in Awka.
Nnake described Social Protection Policy as a government programme to assist individuals manage risk and volatility, as well as protect them from poverty and inequality, while helping them access economic opportunity.
She said the workshop was targeted at rallying support and inputs from various stakeholders involved in social protection to ensure robust, holistic and implementable policy.
“The policy was approved at the national level sometimes last month. We are trying to domesticate the draft to reflect Anambra situation using social protection policy which the ministry has come up with.
“We expect that the policy will be a true reflection of all relevant stakeholders in the state. As soon as we are done, we will transmit it to the executive for approval,
“It is expected to be ready by second week of January 2023.
“We still have windows after today to take as much feedbacks as possible because we want it to be holistic and reflect the minds of the people to social protection issues in the state, ” she said.
Earlier, Mr Leo Atakpu, Deputy Executive Director, ANEEJ, said the project was his organisation’s contribution to support government efforts in five states in tackling poverty in Nigeria.
According to him, recent statistics by the National Bureau of Statistics revealed that 133 million Nigerians are living in poverty.
“The struggle to lift more citizens out of poverty is an indictment on successive governments which have mismanaged nation’s vast resources over the years.
“It is a wake up call for all tiers of governments to take deliberate steps by putting the right policies in place to address poverty crisis at the national and sub-national levels, ” he said.
In his remarks, Mr Chris Azor, Chairman, Anambra Civil Society Network, said Anambra was the first state in the South east to domesticate the policy.
According to him, the policy will drive good governance in the state.
