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| Mr. Salaudeen of CISLAC making a presentation |
From JOE Hemba
Civil Society Legislative and Advocacy Centre in collaboration with Save the Children International (SCI) Nigeria with support from the European Union have convened a meeting of stakeholders in Yobe State to explore alternative ways of funding Social Protection projects.
The meeting which was held today, Thursday at Cedars event centre Damaturu had in attendance all the relevant stakeholders identified that can pull both resources and better legislation that will provide a solid frame work for alternative funding in the social protection sector of the state.
The resource mobilizations initiative of CISLAC is coming at the time that Yobe State Government having realized the urgency to tackle poverty and vulnerability in the state set up the foundations of a state social protection policy in support of the pro-poor agenda.
According to the Conflict Advisor of CISLAC, Mr. Salaudeen Hashimu, “the consultative forum is part of a social investment program, the government may consider increasing the budgetary allocation to enhance a more coordinated, integrated social protection program”.
Mr. Salaudeen disclosed “Despite these efforts, major challenges remain. Where does the funding for a sustained program come from?”.
Why stating the objectives of the meeting, Mr. Salaudeen explained the issue of resource mobilization for social protection needs to be provided with a solid legislative platform for alternative funding rather than the former way f doing things.
“What we have gathered here is basically to put together relevant agencies to look at the issue of social protection and resource mobilization and how we can push together an efficient legislation process other than what we have seen in the past.
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| Participants during the meeting |
“We have come to realized that there have been several failed attempts to put together a social protection structure in the past but we feel that this time around it is very important to be more coordinated and responsive by pushing for a legislation. That is why we feel that while we are putting a legislative to be put in place, we also have to design a framework for funding. This strategy will mean that there is still need to find an alternative approach to funding the process. That is why we are here to brainstorm and put together a process for actualising that goal,” he explained.
He noted that the meeting was deliberately targeted at members of the state House of Assembly, the ministry of budget and planning, civil societies and other relevant stakeholders so as to have a reboots conversation and achieve the goal.
He added that; “Advocacy for a social protection agency to demonstrate political will and sustainability on the project require a ‘statutory channel’ for funding. The government must get this very clear from the onset. It is expected that Social Protection legislation will take into consideration a deliberate agency that manages, administers, and operationalises social protection rather than the current inter-agency coordination currently in place as a more robust, effective, and efficient approach.
“The advocacy from an integrated delivery of social protection legislation to reflect inclusion, ownership, and funding regime. This structure has the potential of warehousing various interventions that might be coming into the state under the lenses of social protection. This is the more reason why such a forum is designed,” he said.
The Speaker of the State House of Assembly, Hon. Lawan Mirwa was represented at the even by the House leader, Hon. Bukar Mustapha who pledge the commitment of the State House of Assembly to ensure the speedily passage of what he described as “proactive laws”
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