ABUJA, March 14 (MENA) - The European Union (EU) has provided 13 million Euros to Nigeria to expand its social protection system, the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reported.

Gautier Mignot, the EU Ambassador to Nigeria, made this announcement during the launch of the Sustainable Social Protection System in Nigeria, in Abuja.

Mignot explained that the funding would support the expansion and digitalization of the National Social Register as part of the project, which would be implemented by UNICEF and the International Labor Organization (ILO).

"It will include improved mechanisms to create a strong, responsive system that serves as a tool for policy planning toward poverty reduction, while also being interoperable with other related databases.

"We are fully aware of the importance of social protection in addressing poverty, empowering individuals, fostering social inclusion, and promoting resilience in the face of emergencies."

He explained that Nigeria, being the most populous country in Africa, had a significant portion of its population living in extreme poverty.

He noted that governments at all levels had been working diligently, with support from international partners, to address these critical issues by mobilizing some of the country’s resources for poverty reduction.

However, he emphasized that the task required a wide range of efficient administrative machinery, and much more remained to be done.

He called for the establishment of a comprehensive National Social Register to identify the poor and ensure they qualify for social protection allowances.

Sen. Abubakar Bagudu, Minister of Budget and Economic Planning, lauded the EU’s support for the Sustainable and Innovative Social Protection Program (EU-SUSI) in Nigeria. (MENA)
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