Magnitude of poverty in the Northeast requires strong social protection Policy – Bauchi Commissioner

By Samuel Luka, Bauchi

The Commissioner of Budget and Planning, Bauchi state, Honourable Aminu Hammayo has observed that the magnitude of poverty and vulnerability of the citizens in the Northeast region of Nigeria requires a stronger social protection Policy supported by a very strong social budgeting framework.

Honourable Hammayo made this known while delivering a goodwill message at the Northeast-states Strategic Policy Dialogue on Social Budgeting for Child-Sensitive Sectors organized by United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) Bauchi field office in Gombe State Wednesday.

The Commissioner who stressed the importance of the dialogue, described it as very timely and apt.

According to him, significant percentage of the population in Nigeria is in extreme poverty which is also expected to rise because of the high rate of inflation and currency devaluation, as such, it was very important that strong budgeting policies on social protection be put in place.

“Ironically, Nigeria as a country spent 0.14 percent of its GDP on social protection in 2021, now the total expenditure on social protection is the worst, now it is even more extreme because the expenditures of the combined 36 states representing only about 20 percent of the entire social protection in the country”, he said.

The Commissioner said for Northeast as a region, the poverty line is quite high, quite alarming as reflected in the multi dimensional indices and especially child MPI.

“Now this also calls for us as a region to have discussion so that we can have a common voice and position to strengthen our effort, to push our words forward and define the action that we need to take to move forward”, Hon Hammayo said.

The Commissioner who commended the UNICEF for organizing the dialogue thanked Gombe State government for hosting it as well as his colleagues from the other state of the Northeast region for finding time to attend.

He said Governor Bala Mohammed of Bauchi state is highly committed to the plights of the children and the general wellbeing of the citizens.

“This dialogue provides us with the opportunity as a region to think about how it can be done”, he added.

On his part, the Officer -In-Charge (OIC), Chief of Field Office of the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) Bauchi, Mohammed Kamfut, stressed the need for improved budgeting and funding for Childresponsive interventions to curb child poverty in the Northeast region.

Kamfut who was represented by Dr. Yusuf Auta, Policy Specialist Bauchi Field Office of UNICEF said the dialogue is expected to brainstorm on how to improve the lives of children in Northeast Nigeria.

He pointed out that the dialogue brings together a diverse group of stakeholders who are actively engaged in budget development and implementation.

According to him, the dialogue aims to collaboratively chart a pathway for adequate and sustainable financing of the social sectors in the region.

He said over the past 30 years, global efforts have consistently aimed to honor commitments to children which include taking all necessary measures to safeguard and advance their rights, ensuring they have the resources to survive, develop, and
thrive, as outlined in the Convention on the Rights of the Child.