VALIDATION MEETING FOR THE LEGAL MAPPING OF ALL EXISTING SOCIAL PROTECTION LEGISTLATION IN NIGERIA

The ‘Institutionalising Social Protection For Accelerated SDG Implementation’ Project, being implemented by ILO, UNDP, UNICEF, and WFP, and funded by the Joint SDG Fund, is supporting the Government of Nigeria through the technical working group on social protection to strengthen legal framework for Social Protection in Nigeria.
The Government of Nigeria, with the support of the International Labour Organization, has conducted a legal mapping of all existing social protection legislation in Nigeria. The mapping aims to identify the elements and provisions that are needed to achieve universal social protection in Nigeria and provide recommendations on how these can be reflected in the proposed Nige-ria Social Protection bill.
Speaking on the importance of a strong legal framework, the Permanent Secretary, Budget and National Planning, Mrs. Olushola Idowu observed, "The COVID 19 pandemic has brought with it an unprecedented need for the institutionalization of Social Protection, and it is essential to provide a strong legal framework through the development of a social protection Bill. I am proud of this joint effort by the technical working group and the ILO to ensure that this purpose is achieved.
The ILO National Project Officer for Social Protection, Mr. Segun Tekun: "Strong social protection systems cannot be achieved without a solid legal framework that ensures universal
coverage for all. The Bill will also clarify individual rights and obligations, enhance the predictability and adequacy of benefits, strengthen institutional capacities, promote transparency and ac-countability, provide safeguards against corruption and establish a stable and regular funding base.
In Nigeria, social protection has grown to take a prominent role in various national and state-level policy documents, development plans, and budgetary allocations. This is evident with the Nation First National Social Protection Policy (NSPP) adoption, which is currently being reviewed, and since been domesticated by more than 10 states to facilitate implementation at the state level.
Despite the progress recorded, legal reforms in support of the social protection agenda have been lagging. The current laws guiding social insurance and social assistance programmes are not aligned with the comprehensive policy agenda, are of limited scope, and do not take a universal rights-based approach. This has brought challenges in implementation for policymakers and stake-holders, resulting in little growth in coverage numbers and frag-mentation of social protection programmes.
To close this huge coverage gap and ensure universal social protection for all individual residents in Nigeria by 2030, the United Nations with the support of Joint SDG Fund, is supporting the Government of Nigeria.