The International Labour Organization (ILO) and the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) have announced a new partnership, the Supporting Sustainable Social Protection Systems in Nigeria (SUSI) project, to strengthen Nigeria’s social protection systems to better support vulnerable populations, including children, women, and informal sector workers.

ILO Country Director for Nigeria, Dr Vanessa Phala who spoke at the opening session of a two-day capacity-building workshop for policymakers on Thursday in Abuja, noted that the SUSI project aligns with Nigeria’s national development priorities, the ILO Decent Work Country Programme, and the UN Sustainable Development Cooperation Framework.

According to her, the project seeks to improve the design and implementation of social protection policies that ensure equitable access to essential services and income security for all Nigerians.

She said: “As an international labour organisation, we are honoured and pleased to partner with our sister agency, UNICEF, to implement this very important and laudable project that supports sustainable social protection systems in Nigeria.

“The project responds to the decent work agenda, where social protection remains a core component of national development, and also fits into the government’s Renewed Hope agenda.”

Phala who explained that the training would equip policymakers with the technical knowledge to design, implement and monitor effective social protection interventions, added that it seeks to build a network of “social protection champions” across federal and state levels.

“The main reason we are here is to ensure that the policymakers responsible for developing and implementing social protection programmes are doing so from a well-informed and competitive point of view

“We want to make sure that we build a cohort of social protection champions who will hold hands together to strengthen, expand and extend protection to many vulnerable people in Nigeria.

“It is critical that we bring our efforts together to have an impactful intervention and see tangible results on the ground.”

Phala appreciated the European Union for its financial support to the project saying, “Without their financial contribution, we would not be here today. We are very grateful to the EU for its continued partnership and commitment.”

UNICEF Social Policy Manager, Ms Zarema Yerzhanova said the training was an important platform to unite policymakers and experts committed to strengthening inclusive social protection systems with a common goal of strengthening social protection that leaves no one behind.

Yerzhanova noted that although Nigeria had immense potential, millions of citizens especially children, still faced poverty, deprivation and vulnerability to shocks ranging from climate change and conflicts to health emergencies and rising costs of living.

“In this context, social protection is a smart and essential investment in people. When it is well designed and collectively financed, it improves productivity, enhances human capital and builds resilience.”

The Director, Social Protection Security and Cooperation Development at the Federal Ministry of Labour and Employment, Mrs Franca Adukweh, noted that the training was vital to building the technical capacity needed to strengthen and maintain Nigeria’s social protection systems.

“This lecture is not just another workshop; it is a vital step towards building the technical capacity and shared understanding required to strengthen and maintain national social protection systems.”

According to her, social protection was one of the most effective tools for reducing poverty, promoting social inclusion and ensuring that no one is left behind in the nation’s development agenda.

“As policymakers, we are at the heart of this transformation. Our role goes beyond policy formulation; we are the bridge between ideas and implementation.”

She commended the ILO, UNICEF and other partners for their commitment to strengthening institutional capacities and promoting knowledge sharing, urging participants to approach the training “with an open mind, a spirit of collaboration and a shared determination to make social protection a new reality for all Nigerians.”