CSOs, Government, and Development Partners Unite to Advance Inclusive Social Protection in Nigeria

ABUJA, NIGERIA – August 12, 2025 – The Act Naija! Consortium—comprising Brot für die Welt – Protestant Agency for Diakonie and Development (EWDE), the Africa Network for Environment and Economic Justice (ANEEJ), and the New Initiative for Social Development (NISD)—has launched a two-day Dialogue on Social Protection in Nigeria aimed at strengthening collaboration among civil society, government, and development partners to build a more inclusive and transparent social protection system.

The dialogue, held from August 12–13, 2025, in Abuja, serves as a civil society build-up to the forthcoming National Summit on Humanitarian and Poverty Reduction in Nigeria, scheduled for later this year and organised by the Ministry of Humanitarian Affairs and Poverty Reduction in collaboration with the Ministry of Budget and Economic Planning, with funding support from the European Union.

The event brings together senior government officials, legislators, international development partners, civil society leaders, media representatives, and beneficiaries of social protection programmes to review the current state of social protection in Nigeria, present findings from the Act Naija! baseline study, and explore lessons from global best practices.

The representative of the European Union Ms Wynyfred Achu Egbuson Programme Manager Civil society, youth and human right noted that the high poverty rate in the country underscores the importance of effective social protection policies and the EU support. She also mentioned that In addition to the EUR1,000,000 invested through the Act Naija! Project, the European Union is in the process of awarding EUR12.5 million to support and complement existing EU funded social protection projects to advocate, sensitize the citizens and stakeholders on the effective coordination and utilization of the National Social Register in national planning and poverty reduction programmes. 

Speaking on behalf of the consortium, David Ugolor, Executive Director of ANEEJ, underscored the urgency of the dialogue in tackling persistent poverty and inequality in Nigeria:

“This dialogue is more than a meeting—it is a call to action. In a nation where 63% of the population is multidimensionally poor, we must move beyond rhetoric to concrete, inclusive, and sustainable measures that protect our most vulnerable citizens. Our baseline makes plain where the system fails the poorest—from weak targeting to gaps in accountability.”

Highlighting the role of civil society in bridging the gap between policy and people, Ugolor added:

“Civil society has a vital role in connecting policy to the lived realities of citizens. Through the Act Naija! project, we are equipping communities to not just benefit from social protection programmes, but to actively monitor and hold institutions accountable for their delivery. This is how we ensure these interventions are not just promises on paper, but real change in people’s lives.”

Casarella Chiara Francesca of Bread for the World emphasised the rights-based foundation of social protection:

“Social protection must be pragmatic, rights-based, and locally rooted. Through Act Naija! we are supporting programmes that prioritise dignity—not charity—by strengthening community voice, improving targeting, and ensuring that commitments translate into food security and social stability for households that have been left behind.”

Steve Tsado, Executive Director of NISD, stressed the importance of partnership and learning from international experience:

“Nigeria’s poverty statistics are not just numbers—they are a call to action. We must strengthen collaboration between government and civil society, learn from global best practices, and ensure that our social protection systems respond to the realities of those they are meant to serve. That is the only way we can break cycles of vulnerability and create sustainable pathways out of poverty.”

The dialogue features participation from the Ministry of Humanitarian Affairs and Poverty Reduction, the Ministry of Budget and Economic Planning, the House of Representatives Committee on Poverty Alleviation, as well as the EU Delegation, UN agencies, and the World Bank.

Participants are expected to leave with concrete commitments that will feed into the forthcoming National Summit on Humanitarian and Poverty Reduction in Nigeria.

The Act Naija! project, co-funded by the European Union under its Human Rights and Support to Civil Society in Nigeriaprogramme, is a three-year initiative designed to improve the inclusivity of Nigeria’s social protection system. It aims to:

• Increase public awareness on the importance of promoting an inclusive and responsive social protection system.
• Enhance the capacities of local organisations and communities to monitor the delivery of social protection programmes.
• Increase opportunities for dialogue between civil society, government, and other stakeholders on the design and performance of social protection systems.

The consortium expressed deep appreciation to the European Union for its support and to government agencies, development partners, and the media for their collaboration in advancing inclusive social protection.