FG Wants ECOWAS To Mainstream Social Protection Into Annual Budgets

Dr Betta Edu

The Federal Government has called on Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) member states to mainstream social protection into the region's annual budgets.

Minister of Humanitarian Affairs and Poverty Alleviation, Dr Betta Edu stated this on Tuesday during the virtual ECOWAS inter-ministerial meeting on the adoption of regional framework and implementation plan on social protection.

She noted that one of the fundamental challenges in the region is that project-based social protection is ad hoc and unpredictable.

Edu also enjoined the member states to intensify efforts towards addressing poverty and humanitarian crisis in their respective countries, just as she sought private sector involvement in the implementation of the framework.

The minister revealed that the adoption of the social protection framework by member countries and its implementation is key to overcoming poverty and humanitarian challenges in West Africa.

The framework seeks to address endemic issues such as financing, coverage, climate risk, and informality in the economies.

She pleaded with the member countries to work towards achieving maximum social protection in the sub-region, adding that social protection is a fundamental human right and should not be regarded as a privilege.

”It is a social and economic necessity that has proven to be a stabilizer in times of crisis and shock, and it is meant to be provided throughout life circle," she added.

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