- Moves To Rescue Oyo’s Vulnerable From Poverty Trap
UNICEF in partnership with the International Labour Organisation (ILO) has launched the Supporting Sustainable Social Protection Systems in Nigeria (SUSI) project - an ambitious intervention aimed at rescuing Oyo State’s most vulnerable populations from the grip of multidimensional poverty.
Speaking in Ibadan on Monday, Celine Lafoucriere, United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) Chief of Lagos Field Office, who represented the agency’s Nigeria Country Representative, Saeed Wafaa, did not mince words. Lafoucriere laid bare the stark reality of Oyo’s social protection landscape, describing it as riddled with critical gaps that threaten the wellbeing of children, families, and entire communities.
“Social protection is not a luxury, but a lifeline,” Lafoucriere declared. “It is the difference between a mother sending her child to school instead of the farm, families accessing healthcare without choosing between medicine and food, and communities weathering economic storms because they have systems that catch them when they fall.”
The SUSI project, jointly implemented by UNICEF and the ILO, is designed to help governments expand and accelerate social protection coverage. It aims to build shock-responsive systems, reinforce policy frameworks, and integrate financial mechanisms into state budgets in ways that are both sustainable and scalable.
Despite commendable efforts by the Oyo State Government—including the adoption of a Social Protection Policy, creation of a Social Protection Coordination Department, drafting of a Social Protection Bill, and initiatives such as free basic education, the home-grown school feeding programme, and the Oyo State Health Insurance Scheme - UNICEF warned that these steps, while promising, are not nearly enough.
“These represent hope, and a pathway to ensuring that children and other vulnerable populations in Oyo State are cared for and protected,” Lafoucriere acknowledged. But she swiftly followed with a sobering reality check.
Nearly 48.7 per cent of Oyo’s population and a staggering 72.7 per cent of children aged 0–17 remain multidimensionally poor. Even more alarming, only 11 per cent of poor and vulnerable residents are captured in the social registry, and a mere two per cent of the population receives any form of social assistance.
“These numbers tell us that too many families are left behind. The urgency for improved investment in social protection is now,” Lafoucriere stressed.
To bridge these glaring gaps, UNICEF outlined a series of priorities: strengthening institutional frameworks to coordinate interventions; expanding coverage to include more children, women, the elderly, and persons with disabilities; and improving the social registry to ensure vulnerable households are properly identified and supported.
Additional measures include capacity building for key stakeholders to ensure effective planning and implementation, and forging stronger partnerships with development actors to pool resources and expertise.
“What excites me most about this project is that it is not just about systems and structures,” Lafoucriere said. “It is about enhancing Oyo State’s shock-responsiveness capabilities, reinforcing policy frameworks, and integrating financial mechanisms into state budgets and planning efforts in sustainable and scalable ways.”
UNICEF pledged unwavering support to Oyo State in designing and scaling up a robust social protection system. With strengthened governance, better financing, and inclusive programmes, the organisation believes Oyo can protect its most vulnerable citizens and build resilience against economic and social shocks.
“As we launch this programme today, I want us to always remember that every child in Oyo State deserves to grow up safe and protected. Every family deserves access to the services they need to live with dignity, and every community deserves systems that help them when times get tough,” Lafoucriere concluded.
Muhammad Okorie, UNICEF’s programme and social policy manager, added that UNICEF had worked with government agencies to identify poor and vulnerable households, making them traceable and captured in the social register.
“We need to increase the number of households on the state social register. By the end of 2026, we expect that an additional 250,000 households would have been included,” Okorie said. He noted that the register would be interoperable, allowing ministries, departments, agencies, and partners to access it to reach those who need services.
Adebayo Lawal, Acting Governor of Oyo State, who formally launched the SUSI project, said the initiative would provide a modernised social protection management information system interoperable across relevant agencies.
“With the continued support of the European Union and other development partners, we are confident that we will achieve greater progress in deepening social inclusion and building human resilience,” Lawal said.
He called on stakeholders, civil society organisations, the private sector, and citizens to unite in advancing the initiative’s objectives.
As the SUSI project begins, it is instructive to note that social protection is not optional. It is a moral imperative, a strategic necessity, and a cornerstone of inclusive development. Oyo State now stands at a critical juncture - either to lead Nigeria in building resilient, equitable systems or to risk leaving its most vulnerable behind.
