Lagos reaffirms support for vulnerable residents

The Lagos State Government has promised a continued support for thousands of vulnerable families across the state, including widows struggling to feed their children to small business owners trying to recover from economic setbacks.

This was disclosed by the Permanent Secretary of the Ministry of Economic Planning and Budget, Mrs Olayinka Ojo, during the social protection policy measures onboarding and adoption workshop organised by the Social Protection Coordinating Department in Alausa, Ikeja.

According to a statement made available to Sunday news, Ojo who was represented by the Director, Monitoring and Evaluation Department, Mr Fuad Oyede, said the initiative would help government agencies integrate social protection principles and global best practices into their programmes.

According to her, the workshop was designed to deepen participants’ understanding of the state’s approved social protection policy measures while “equipping them with practical skills to design and implement interventions that reduce poverty, protect vulnerable residents and promote social inclusion.”

She added that the success of social protection depends on collaboration among government agencies, improved targeting and accountability to ensure that support gets to those who need it most.

Ojo said, “Our interventions will only be effective when we work together, improve our targeting and ensure that government support reaches the most vulnerable members of society.”

Also speaking at the event, the Director of the Social Protection Coordinating Department, Mr Yusuf Semiu, said while the progress made so far should be acknowledged, more work lies ahead in aligning Lagos’ social protection programmes with global standards.

“I want to challenge representatives of participating Ministries, Departments and Agencies to assess the impact of their programmes by asking critical questions. Are interventions improving access to education? Are communities becoming more resilient to economic shocks and climate-related emergencies such as flooding? Are government programmes inclusive and gender-responsive?

“Answering these questions will help shape the next phase of the state’s social protection policy, which is due for review after completing its current five-year cycle.”

Also speaking, the Director of the Lagos Bureau of Statistics, Mr Tayo Oseni, described social protection as one of the pillars of sustainable development, alongside education, healthcare and economic growth.

“The implementing agencies need to take ownership of the initiative and maximise the state’s Single Social Register to identify and support residents who require government assistance,” Oseni stated.

In April, the state government, through the Lagos State Ministry of Economic Planning and Budget, said it had intensified efforts to strengthen its social protection framework with a fresh push to update the state’s Single Social Register.

The move was made in conjunction with community-based targeting teams, local government coordinators and field enumerators across the state’s 57 Local Government Areas and Local Council Development Areas of the state.