Sokoto and its 23 councils agree to fund social protection from budgets

Sokoto State and all 23 of its local government councils have agreed to put money for social protection into their budgets, as the state moves to turn its poverty-reduction plans into funded programmes.

The pledge was made on Wednesday at a one-day dialogue on how to pay for social protection, held at Sokoto Guest Inn. It brought together council chairmen, the state government and development partners.

Social protection covers schemes meant to help poor and vulnerable residents, such as cash transfers, support for children and other safety-net programmes.

The Commissioner for Budget and Economic Development, Dr Bashir Achida, told the meeting that his ministry has prepared a policy document to guide how such programmes are run and to show where government help is needed most. He said it fits into Governor Ahmed Aliyu's Nine-Point SMART Agenda.

Achida said social protection is now firmly established in Sokoto and across Nigeria, and that all involved must work together so residents can live with dignity.

He stressed that the councils are central to delivering these programmes, since development work has to start at the grassroots.

Councils to create budget lines

The Chairman of the Association of Local Governments of Nigeria (ALGON) in Sokoto State, Alhaji Abba Shehu Tambuwal, said the chairmen are ready to create budget lines for social protection in their annual budgets and will back the programmes fully.

He also praised Achida for his efforts on the state's economy.

A UNICEF Social Policy Specialist, Malam Isah Ibrahim, said Sokoto is one of four states benefiting from European Union support for social protection. He said the EU's interest follows the commitment shown by the governor, the Sultanate and the council chairmen.

Ibrahim said the EU sees Sokoto as having the potential to become a model that other states could visit to learn from.

He added that the EU is considering raising its financial investment in Nigeria in 2027, and that Sokoto is among the states being looked at for more support.

Achida thanked the EU, UNICEF and other partners for their technical and financial backing, especially for child survival programmes.

What happens next

The test will be in the budgets: the councils have promised to include social protection lines in their spending plans, and the state says its policy document will guide which programmes get priority. No figures were given at the meeting for how much will be set aside or when payments would begin.