By Chioma Obinna
Nearly half of Oyo State’s residents are multidimensionally poor, yet only two percent currently benefit from any form of social assistance, the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) has warned.
The alarm was raised during the launch of the Supporting Sustainable Social Protection Systems in Nigeria (SUSI) project in Ibadan.
Speaking on behalf of UNICEF Nigeria Country Representative, Saeed Wafaa, UNICEF Chief of the Lagos Field Office, Celine Lafoucriere, said social protection must be treated as a lifeline rather than a luxury.
While commending Oyo State for initiatives such as its Social Protection Policy, the creation of a Coordination Department, and programmes like free basic education, school feeding, and health insurance, Lafoucriere highlighted that 48.7 percent of residents and 72.7 percent of children remain multidimensionally poor, with only 11 percent currently captured in the social registry.
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“When we talk about social protection, we are talking about dignity,” she said.
“We are talking about that mother in a rural community who can send her child to school instead of the farm; families that can access healthcare without choosing between medicine and food; and communities that can weather the storms of economic shocks because they have systems that catch them when they fall. The urgency for improved investment is now.”
Also speaking, UNICEF Programme and Social Policy Manager, Muhammad Okorie, said efforts were ongoing to expand the social register.
“We need to increase the number of households on the state social register. By the end of 2026, we expect that an additional 250,000 households will have been included,” he explained.
At the launch, Acting Governor of Oyo State, Adebayo Lawal, said the SUSI project would provide a modernised management information system that links across agencies.
“With the continued support of the European Union and other development partners, we are confident that we will achieve greater progress in deepening social inclusion and building human resilience,” Lawal said, urging citizens and stakeholders to support the initiative.
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The SUSI project is jointly implemented by UNICEF and the International Labour Organization (ILO) with funding from the European Union.
