Health
Lagos, UNICEF partner to strengthen social protection
By Felix Oloyede
The Lagos State Government has reiterated its commitment to developing a more resilient social protection system that can effectively respond to economic, health, climate, and social shocks affecting vulnerable residents.
At a recent three-day capacity-building workshop on Shock-Responsive and Adaptive Social Protection, held in partnership with the United Nations Children’s Fund, the Permanent Secretary of the Ministry of Economic Planning and Budget, Mrs Olayinka Ojo, emphasised that the training aimed to enhance the capacity of stakeholders to deliver responsive and sustainable social protection interventions.
Ojo, represented by the Director of Budget in the ministry, Mr Femi Onojimi, praised UNICEF for its ongoing partnership with the state government, describing the organisation as a strategic ally in advancing the welfare of women, children, and other vulnerable groups across Lagos State.
She noted that governments worldwide are increasingly facing economic downturns, inflationary pressures, health emergencies, climate-related disasters, and social disruptions that disproportionately affect poor and vulnerable households.
“This workshop is both timely and strategic,” she stated, emphasising the need for Lagos to strengthen its institutional capacity to anticipate, prepare for, and respond to shocks in a coordinated and sustainable manner.
Also speaking at the workshop, UNICEF’s Social Policy and Programme Manager, Mr Muhammed Okorie, addressed the growing frequency and intensity of shocks affecting households.
“From economic volatility to public health emergencies, flooding, climate change, and food insecurity, households—especially those that are poor and vulnerable—are exposed to risks that can quickly erode their livelihoods and push them deeper into poverty,” he explained.
Okorie pointed out that existing social protection systems must evolve to be more adaptive and capable of rapidly responding to emerging challenges.
He further explained that adaptive social protection enables governments to improve planning, targeting, and benefit delivery mechanisms, ensuring that vulnerable populations can be quickly identified and supported during crises.
He noted that the Lagos State Single Social Register remained a vital tool for identifying poor and vulnerable households, thus enhancing the targeting of interventions.
UNICEF expects that the knowledge gained from the workshop will translate into improved planning, budgeting, and financing for social protection programmes across government institutions.
The workshop brought together members of the Social Protection Implementation Technical Working Group, development partners, social protection focal persons, and officials from various Lagos State ministries, departments, and agencies, including Women Affairs and Poverty Alleviation, Youth and Social Development, Education, Health, and Planning and Budget offices.
Participants explored strategies for developing a more responsive, inclusive, and shock-resilient social protection system in the state.
Attendees described the training as practical and impactful, highlighting that it addressed critical gaps in the state’s social protection architecture.
Participants commended the Lagos State Government and UNICEF for organising the workshop.
“This initiative is timely and necessary. It has equipped practitioners with the tools and knowledge to strengthen institutional capacity and build a more inclusive, responsive, and resilient social protection system for Lagos State,” a participant concluded.
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