By Joy Joseph
In a stride towards inclusive development and poverty reduction, the Acting Governor of Oyo State, Mr Adebayo Lawal, on Monday launched the Supporting Sustainable Social Protection in Nigeria (SUSI) project , a bold initiative designed to entrench social inclusion and build long-term resilience for vulnerable populations across the state.
The launch, held at the Executive Council Chambers of the Governor’s Office in Ibadan, marked a major milestone in Oyo State’s ongoing efforts to institutionalise social protection.
The European Union-funded project is being implemented in collaboration with the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) and the International Labour Organisation (ILO), and aims to strengthen Nigeria’s social safety net to better respond to shocks, reduce poverty, and promote equity.
Speaking at the launch, Acting Governor Lawal noted that Oyo State has made social protection a cornerstone of its development agenda, especially during the COVID-19 pandemic, where strategic interventions helped cushion the economic impact on households.
“Our administration has taken deliberate steps to fight poverty and support livelihoods. We distributed food packages to over 200,000 vulnerable households, provided ₦500 million in loans to small businesses, granted ₦1 billion to boost food security, and introduced 46 subsidised buses to ease transportation costs,” Lawal stated.
He emphasised the need for a comprehensive legal framework to solidify these efforts, pledging the state’s commitment to institutionalising social protection policies through improved coordination among government ministries and strategic partnerships with development agencies.
Chief of UNICEF Field Office for the South-West, Celine Laqoueriere, lauded the Oyo State Government for its forward-thinking Social Protection Policy, which already provides a clear roadmap for implementation. She highlighted initiatives such as free basic education, the school feeding programme, and expanded health insurance as critical lifelines for children and vulnerable populations.
Laqoueriere called for the establishment of a Social Protection Coordination Department and the swift passage of the draft Social Protection Bill, currently awaiting legislative action.
The ILO’s Regional Manager, Guite Diop, added that by 2027, the SUSI project aims to significantly improve the state’s social registry, with a particular focus on the poorest and most vulnerable households.
In goodwill messages, the Commissioner for Health, Dr. Oluwaserimi Ajetunmobi, and Commissioner for Women Affairs, Hon. Toyin Balogun, reiterated that under the administration of Governor Seyi Makinde, Oyo State is laying a robust foundation for a socially and climate-resilient population.
Programmes such as the conditional cash transfer, the revitalisation of primary health centres, and the state health insurance scheme are already having measurable impacts on communities.
Earlier, the Commissioner for Budget and Economic Planning, Prof. Musibau Babatunde, noted that Oyo State has been at the forefront of social protection since the inception of the current administration. Babatunde pointed to the state’s comprehensive development roadmap (2019–2027), which prioritizes vulnerability reduction and inclusive growth.
