Abia State has joined three other states in Nigeria to benefit from the European Union-funded Supporting Sustainable Social Protection System project, formally launched in Umuahia on Wednesday. The event also featured the inauguration of the Abia State Social Protection Council by Governor Alex Otti, OFR.
Speaking at the Government House on wednesday Governor Otti praised the European Union for its interventions in health, education, environment, energy, and support for vulnerable groups, noting that such programmes have transformed the lives of thousands of individuals and families across the state.
He described the new EU-supported initiative as a significant boost to Abia’s social protection drive, assuring that his administration is ready to provide all necessary support to ensure its success.
“I am particularly glad that the programme is designed to expand our reach by bringing more people into the social safety net. The State is fully prepared to offer every required support to make this programme successful,” Otti said.
The Governor explained that his government had already established strong institutional frameworks, including the Ministry of Poverty Alleviation and Social Protection, the Abia State Commission for the Welfare of Disabled Persons, and the Abia State Senior Citizen Centre, to drive social welfare programmes and ensure no one is left behind.
On his part, the European Union Head of Delegation to Nigeria and ECOWAS, Ambassador Gautier Mignot, disclosed that the €13 million project, running from 2024 to 2027, is being implemented in partnership with UNICEF and the International Labour Organization (ILO) in four states, including Abia.
“This project is aimed at strengthening Nigeria’s social protection system, expanding coverage for the most vulnerable, and ensuring that no one is left behind,” Mignot said, adding that the EU will also provide ICT equipment to help integrate poor and vulnerable households into the national social register.
He commended Governor Otti for his commitment to social development, noting that the collaboration with UNICEF and ILO is contributing to building a stronger and more resilient Abia State.
Also speaking, Dr. Vanessa Lerato Phala-Moyo, ILO Country Director for Nigeria, Ghana, Liberia, and Sierra Leone, said the programme aligns with Governor Otti’s vision of a “New Abia” and the Federal Government’s Renewed Hope Agenda, promising that ILO will work with UNICEF to extend social safety nets to the most vulnerable citizens.
The event was attended by the Secretary to the State Government, Professor Kenneth Kalu, commissioners, and other top government officials.
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