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UNICEF, FG Laud Osun Govt On Social Protection Programmes, Say It is a Model

Published

7 years ago

June 8, 2017

The United Nations International Children’s Emergency Fund has lauded Osun State government on its various social protection programmes, describing it as programme that reached the people who are in need.

Speaking at the Opening Session of a three-day programme tagged: ‘Overview of the Social Protection Initiative in Osun’, held in Osogbo, on Thursday, the UNICEF Nigeria Chief of Field Offices and Coordination, Dr Annefrida Kisessa, said the organization appreciates the social protection programme of Governor Rauf Aregbesola’s administration.

According to Kisessa, social protection programmes are the only way to reach the people who are in need of intervention and reduce poverty level.

Fifteen of the 36 states in Nigeria participated in the interstate social protection study tour.

Kisessa said: “UNICEF is very privileged and proud to partner with Osun state and Anambra state, it is even another privilege to facilitate and contribute at our level to the achieving result for children. UNICEF believes that to attain development, you have to make sure you tap into the potentials of everyone, particularly the potentials of the people who are in need.

“For this reason, we see what is happening in Osun, all the social protection initiatives. It is through social protection initiatives that you can reach the people who are in need. We appreciate Osun for what it has done and for allowing us to partner on the social protection initiatives.”

In his remarks, Dr. Sampson Ebimaro, who represented the Ministry of Budget and National Planning, Osun is a model for the Federal Government and other states on the social protection programmes.

Ebimaro commended the state government for its intervention progarmmes aimed at ameliorating poverty and reducing illiteracy level and providing standard education in the state.

According to Ebimaro, Aregbesola is moving fast in the development of education infrastructure with the construction of modern school buildings.

Delivering his address, Aregbesola said his social intervention programmes are to motivate, shape and improve the living standard of the people in the state, saying that the primary consideration of his administration is to take care of the people.

Aregbesola said he never thought his social intervention programmes would be considered models and worthy of emulation, stating that his sees government as a vehicle to uplift the living condition of the people.

According to the governor, his administration has put in place programmes and policies that that will take 10 years of economic recession or depression to erase.

He stated that he has been able to reduce the poverty and unemployment level of the state through programmes like the Osun Youths Empowerment Scheme, the free feeding for elementary school children, empowerment of women who prepare the food for the feeding, among others.

The governor appreciated UNICEF for acknowledging his social protection programme and counting the state worthy of partnership.

Earlier in his opening remarks, the Coordinator Osun Economic Development Plan, Dr Charles Akinola, said the UNICEF was in the state to understudy the social protection programme of the state government in a three-day tour.

According to Akinola, the programme was to know the impact of the social protection initiatives programme on the well-being of children and women, and draw lessons to inform policy intervention in other places.

He said the team would visit 10 schools in the urban and rural areas of the state to inspect the free school feeding and other education intervention of the Aregbesola’s administration.