By Jude-Ken Ojinnaka
Civil Society Organisations, the Media, Leaders of CDAs, representatives of the National Human Rights Commission (NHRC) and officials of Lagos State ministries converged at SHOREGATE Hotels in Lagos to brainstorm on how the application and implementation of the new Lagos State Social Protection Policy adopted in June this year will effectively work.
The Lagos State Social Protection Policy (LASSPP) is a consolidated policy framework that incorporates social agenda paradigms intended to reduce poverty, address other related social norms, and financial barriers and provide a life of dignity for the citizens through various interventions.
The brainstorming in a first roundtable meeting with Lagos State Social Protection Technical Working Group (TWG) was organised by a human rights and advocacy organisation, the Socio-Economic Rights And Accountability Project (SERAP).
The report of the TWG was presented by an Assistant Research Consultant, Barrister Ayo Adebusoye.
In his presentation, Barrister Adebusoye said that the policy measures of LASSPP are classified into four categories, adding that each of the four categories has policy objectives.
He mentioned the four categories as Social Assistance, Social Care, Social Insurance and Labour Market Intervention.
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The policy is to identify the poor families/households, vulnerable, and put in place some measures to alleviate their poor conditions.
Some of the measures could be in form of giving scholarships to the less privileged, provision of health insurance, accommodation, rehabilitation, counselling and health scheme amongst others.
The LASSPP is under the direct supervision of the Ministry of Youth and Social Development.
It is the responsibility of the ministry to look out for children on the streets, take them and after evaluation, referred them to care centres, juvenile courts or correctional centres depending on their ages.
He said among other things that statistically, about thirty-three children flow into Lagos every hour, adding that the social protection policy adopted by Lagos State is a way to address the issue of poverty and social responsibility
He appealed to the media, CSO, CDA leaders, NHRC and other groups to ensure the success of the policy which will be in full force in 2023.
“The successful implementation of this policy rides on the effective coordination of the multidisciplinary aspects of the social protection programme.
“This policy needs active participation and contributions of all stakeholders in public and private sectors, including Corporate organisations, Development partners, Non-government organisations, Religious bodies, Civil Society Organisations, and Community Development Associations at the State and Local Government/Local Council Development Areas levels.
“The primary objective of the policy is to secure maximum happiness of every citizen”
Discussing the report after the presentation, participants spotted and discussed the likely impediments/lapses that may affect the effective and successful implementation of the policy. These include corruption, lack of enough awareness, Insincerity, low publicity, low political will, and government bureaucracy.
They contended that for effective implementation of the policy, media should be carried along by the supervisory ministries.
Government should be persistent in anything they do or pronounce, creation of enough awareness and sensitisation, identify the people in rural areas and focus on the rights of every citizen.
Responding to the issues raised by the participants at the meeting, the Director, of the Social Protection Coordinating Dept, representing the Permanent Secretary of the Lagos State Ministry of Economic Planning and Budget, said that Single Social Register is provided by Lagos State for the registration of the vulnerable, poor people in rural areas for their social interventions.
She stated that the issue of LASSPP should not be heated up, adding Lagos State is the only State that have gone thus far in Nigeria.
“We need the cooperation of all to ensure that we get to the desired destination
“Give Lagos more time to do the implementation of the policy and then you can assess us in 2023, she pleaded.
Some points adopted at end of the meeting
are: the media should be carried along in creating awareness for the implementation of the policy; the Technical Working Group and the Media should work together; Government must be persistent in social protection; the LASSPP is expected to commence fully in 2023.
Present at the roundtable meeting were representatives of the Lagos State Ministry of Women Affairs and Poverty Alleviation; representative of the Ministry of Justice; representative of the Lagos State Office of Disability Affairs; representative of the National Human Rights Commission (NHRC); the media, CSO’S and CDA’S and People with