Theme: Social Protection Towards Human Capital Development

Abuja, Nigeria – 28th June 2024

1. The 3rd Edition of the Social Protection Cross-Learning Summit (SPECS-2024) was convened in Abuja, bringing together key stakeholders from Federal and State Governments, development partners, and civil society. The summit was organized by the Federal Ministry of Finance in collaboration with the Social Protection Development Partner Group (DPG). The theme of this year’s summit, “Social Protection Towards Human Capital Development,” reflects our shared commitment to enhancing social protection systems to foster sustainable human capital development in Nigeria.

2. Social protection plays a critical role in human capital development by providing safety nets that ensure access to essential services such as education, health, and nutrition. Effective social protection systems contribute to economic stability, poverty reduction, and inclusive growth, laying a strong foundation for the overall development of the country.

3. We acknowledge the significant achievements of Federal and State Governments in the realm of social protection. The adoption of Social Protection Policies, the development of a single registry, the adoption of the National Health Insurance Authority Act with its provision for the Vulnerable Group Fund, the cash transfer initiative of 25,000 Naira monthly over a three-month period to cushion the impact of fuel subsidy removal, and the establishment of Social Protection Councils in several states are commendable milestones that demonstrate a growing commitment to social protection.

4. SPECS provides a crucial platform for stakeholders to deliberate on effective social protection delivery. This year’s summit focused on three critical areas: increasing coverage, improving coordination, and ensuring adequate financing of social protection systems. The action points in this communiqué cut across these sub-themes, offering a comprehensive approach to strengthening social protection in Nigeria.

II. Action Points

The Federal Government of Nigeria is committed to ensuring access to social protection for all and removing the barriers that people face in accessing these services. As a result, the government is engaged to implement, with the support from relevant stakeholders, including the Social Protection Development Partner Group, the following agreed action points from this summit:

1. Coverage

i. Resume and improve delivery of the National Homegrown School Feeding Programme to ensure that children, particularly from vulnerable households, receive nutritious meals that support their education and health.

ii. Introduce a Universal Child Benefit to provide financial support to all children, reduce childhood poverty, promote equitable development opportunities, and accelerate access to basic social services, including health

and education.

iii. Extend social protection to workers in the informal economy, including farmers, to enhance their resilience and economic stability.

iv. Accelerate the implementation of the existing cash transfer programme to mitigate the impact of current inflationary pressures and limit exacerbation of poverty and vulnerability.

V. Expand the social register in collaboration with State Governments to ensure that the poor and vulnerable in all LGAs are captured. This will help towards effective planning and design of a robust and inclusive social protection programme across states.

vi. Promote women’s empowerment through scaling up ‘cash plus’ approaches to tackle gender inequality and shift harmful and discriminatory gender norms.

2. Coordination

i. Establish a Social Protection Council as provided for by the National Social Protection Policy. This council will oversee and coordinate social protection initiatives across different sectors and levels of government, ensuring cohesive and efficient delivery of services.

ii. Develop a robust and interoperable Management Information System (MIS) to improve the delivery and monitoring of social protection programmes. This system will facilitate enhanced data sharing and integration across the various social protection schemes.

iii. Reinforce the Secretariat Function with adequate human resources allocated to support the functioning of the social protection team in the office of the Minister of Finance and Coordinating Minister of The Economy. This includes hiring and developing the capacity of personnel to manage and coordinate implementation of social protection policies and programmes effectively.

3. Financing

i. Increase allocation to social protection by 2 percent to ensure adequate funding for expanding and sustaining social protection initiatives.

ii. Introduce a specific budget code for social protection to streamline and monitor financial flows dedicated to social protection programmes, ensuring transparency and accountability.

iii. Strengthen partnership and collaboration with development partners to secure financial support for social protection programmes through innovative and sustainable strategies.

III. Conclusion

The SPECS-2024 summit has underscored the importance of a comprehensive and integrated approach to social protection in Nigeria. The action points outlined in this communiqué will shape the social protection agenda in the country for the next two years. We express our gratitude to all participants for their valuable contributions and reaffirm our commitment to working collaboratively towards these goals.

Endorsed by

Ms. Cristian Munduate, UNICEF Representative
Co-lead Social Protection Development Partner Group

Ms. Samuela Isopi
EU Ambassador in Nigeria Co-lead Social Protection Development Partner Group


Mr. Wale Edun
Minister of Finance and Coordinating Minister of The Economy