Lagos Commits To Advancing Social Protection Programmes, Targets Vulnerable Residents
The Lagos State Government has reaffirmed its commitment to advancing social protection programmes through the National Social Register (NSR).
This assurance was given by the Deputy Chief of Staff, Mr. Sam Egube, who represented Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu at a one-day Stakeholders’ engagement with the theme: “Advancing Social Protection through the National Social Register”, held recently in Lagos.
Egube, who also received the Champion of Care Award for Social Protection Implementation in Nigeria on behalf of the governor commended President Bola Tinubu for repositioning the NSR as a credible platform for delivering interventions.
He noted that the Lagos State Ministry of Economic Planning and Budget, led by the Commissioner, Mr. Ope George and Permanent Secretary, Mrs. Olayinka Ojo, had domesticated the operations of the NSR by ensuring that all residents, especially the vulnerable, are registered.
Furthermore, he delivered the governor’s promise for an increased allocation to the Social Services and the Social Protection Sector from N130 billion in 2025 to N170 billion in 2026.
Speaking earlier, the National Coordinator of the National Social Safety-Net Coordinating Office, Ms. Funmi Olotu, disclosed that the NSR had become one of the world’s largest social protection databases, with over 19 million heads of households and individual members captured.
She noted that the recent integration of the National Identification Number (NIN) into the register transformed it into a more reliable and inclusive system.
In his goodwill message, the Chief Executive Officer of the National Social Investment Programme Agency, Dr. Badamasi Lawal, emphasised the importance of Social Protection in the country. “Social protection is not a choice but a necessity, given the current economic realities”, he averred.
In the same vein, the Alara of Ilara Kingdom, HRH. Dr. Olufolarin Ogunsanwo, in his goodwill message, stressed that social protection should be seen as a duty of the state and society rather than an act of benevolence.
