More than 7 million residents across 1.7 million households have been captured under the Kano State Social Service Register (SSR) as part of ongoing efforts to improve the effectiveness of social protection programs in the state.
The Acting Permanent Secretary of the Ministry of Planning and Budget (MoPB),Alhaji Abdulmumin Ajumawa stated this during a two-day meeting of the Social Protection Technical Working Group (TWG) in Kano.
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According to Ajumawa, the register is a robust database that identifies and captures vulnerable individuals and households for targeted social interventions aimed at reducing poverty and improving livelihoods.
“The SSR ensures that deserving individuals receive cash transfers, empowerment packages, and other poverty alleviation support, enabling them to live more dignified and productive live across the 44 LGAs”
He explained that the state government, under the leadership of Governor Abba Kabir Yusuf, has mapped out several policies and programs to guarantee inclusive access to social benefits,.
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“The establishment of the Kano State Social Protection Agency (KASPA) under the Ministry of Humanitarian Affairs is a practical example”
In her remarks, the Managing Director of KASPA,Dr Fatima Abubakar reaffirmed the agency’s commitment to championing programs that uplift children, women, and other vulnerable populations in Kano.
She emphasized KASPA’s plan to strengthen partnerships with UNICEF, civil society organizations (CSOs), the media, and other stakeholders to ensure the effective implementation of social protection strategies.
“One of the critical initiatives is the Universal Child Grant, which plays a pivotal role in combating poverty, child malnutrition, and other threats to child development,” she said.
In a technical presentation titled “Child-Sensitive Social Protection (CSSP): Gaps and Opportunities,” the TWG Secretary, Dalhatu Danladi, highlighted several accomplishments under the state’s social protection framework.
These include:
Cash transfers to poor households
School feeding programs
Health insurance expansion
Budgetary increases for social services
Implementation of N-Power and KASPA programs
Danladi also outlined existing gaps and opportunities, recommending:
Domestication of the National Social Protection Policy (NSSP)
Regular updates and utilization of the SSR for accurate targeting
Institutional capacity-building and legislative backing
Stronger stakeholder collaboration
Alignment with national-level social protection initiatives
Stakeholders at the meeting reaffirmed their commitment to ensuring that social protection in Kano State is inclusive, well-coordinated, and sustainable.
With the robust data provided by the SSR and strengthened institutional frameworks like KASPA, the state is poised to deliver the dividends of democracy to its most vulnerable citizens.
Paradigm News reports that, the two day workshop was organized by Kano state ministry of planning and budget MoPB supported by UNICEF