The Kaduna State Government is committed to ensuring that all interventions targeted at the vulnerable are delivered inclusively and transparently.
The Planning and Budget Commission, Abdullahi Sani Mohammed, asserted this at a One-day Multisectoral meeting on the State Social Register (SSR) update with Ministries, Departments, and agencies held in Kaduna yesterday.
The Commissioner said the State Executive Council made this resolution to approve the Social Register as the primary data source for all pro-poor interventions in the State.
The Social Register according to him, as of 9th March 2022 has captured 2,656,993 individuals from 680,888 Poor and Vulnerable Households (PVHHs).
He added that the development puts Kaduna State as one of the first sub-nationals in the Country to pursue effective and efficient delivery of safety-nets to target poor and vulnerable residents.
The Commissioner Stressed that the implication of this is apparent; a robust Social Register of poor and vulnerable Households in the State helps to promote inclusiveness in the delivery of social protection as it facilitates informed decision making based on credible and verifiable data.
“I commend the State Executive Council for approving the use of the Social Register for all pro-poor interventions in the State.
“Let me also appreciate all our partners who have remained committed to ensuring that Government is supported to drive various initiatives that help to reduce the multidimensional impacts of poverty and other forms of vulnerabilities.
“As a Commission, and arguably one of the critical agencies of government, it is our commitment to continue to support the State Operations Coordinating Unit (SOCU) to deliver on its mandate, and the State and Federal Government in their efforts to lead on inclusive governance in Nigeria.” He said
In her remarks, the Coordinator of the State Operations Coordinating Unit (SOCU), Planning and Budget Commission, Dawong Nina, explained that the main objective of the biannual multisectoral meeting is to create awareness amongst key stakeholders and to provide updates on the progress and development of the Social Register.
She added the meeting will also Facilitate ownership and build trust on the register and thus facilitate utilization of the register by all parties which will ensure poorest households in the State are reached.
Mrs Dawong further said the biannual meeting would brainstorm how to promote and increase the use of the Social register by all stakeholders to mine beneficiaries for existing and upcoming social protection programmes.
Also speaking, The Head of Operations, SOCU, Biya Dogon, explained that the register was being generated through a comprehensive process known as Community Based Targeting (CBT).
Mr Dogon explained that the community defines poverty and identifies those that should be captured in the register through the process.
He said that the CBT process began in 2017 in Nine pilot local government areas (LGAs); three from each Senatorial zone: Ikara, Kubau, Lere, Birnin Gwari, Chikun, Kajuru, Kachia, Kauru and Sanga.
“However, in May 2020, the process was scaled-up to the remaining fourteen LGAs, thus covering the entire state”, he said.
