Kaduna committed to providing support for underserved people – Executive Secretary, KADSIPA

The administration of Governor Uba Sani in Kaduna State is committed to ensuring that social protection is not just a policy, but a transformative tool for poverty reduction, equity, and resilience.

Sani Maikudi, executive secretary, Kaduna Social Investment Protection Agency (KADSIPA), made this disclosure weekend, at the opening of a two-day workshop in Zaria, Kaduna State.

Sani said that the decision by the administration to focus on meeting the needs of the underserved citizens was because of the importance that the administration placed on meeting the needs of all the indigenes of the state.

“It is this commitment that has made workshops like this possible, where stakeholders come together to review, analyse, and improve critical frameworks like the Social Protection Policy,” he explained.

In her goodwill message, Wakidara M. Akila, Social Policy Officer, Kaduna Field Office of UNICEF, said that the review was timely and highly welcomed, especially because of Climate Change.

She assured of UNICEF’s continuous support while congratulating KADSIPA and the Kaduna State Government for their commitment to the success of the programme.

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While also delivering his organisation’s goodwill address, Muhammad S. Danhassan, project coordinator of the Global Alliance for Improved Nutrition (GAIN), appreciated the supportive roles of Civil Society Organisations in the delivery of social goods in the state.

He noted that the Human Centered Design (HCD) should be mainstreamed and captured into Social Protection Policy as this will ensure that beneficiaries are involved in all decision-making process.

In the same vein, Summaya Abdullahi Hussein, Citizens Co-Chair, OGP Technical Working group, urged KADSIPA to strengthen social protection systems and to also ensure that the policy touches the lives of the people.

According to her, “We need to ensure that what we have on paper will reflect in the vulnerable families we are targeting.”

The workshop, which was organised by KADSIPA in collaboration with UNICEF is aimed at reviewing the Kaduna State Social Protection Policy.

The policy, which was designed in 2020, has a three-year review as part of its guiding principles, for effective use of the policy document, to address emerging challenges and incorporating global best practices in the policy framework.

Representatives of relevant Ministries Departments and Agencies of Kaduna State, UNICEF, Global Alliance for Improved Nutrition (GAIN), Open Governance Partnership (OGP) attended the workshop.

Also, Kaduna Social Protection Accountability Coalition (KADSPAC) and the Kaduna State chapter of the Joint National Association of Persons with Disability (JONAPWD) were represented.