The Deputy Speaker, Kogi State House of Assembly, Rt. Hon Rt. Comfort Egwaba said the house is working in Partnership with ACT NAIJA Project, ANEEJ, for the domestication of Social Protection law in the state.
The lawmaker said the house relies on the consortium’s expertise to perfect the technicalities and the clean copy required for the submission of the bill to the house.
Rt. Hon Egwaba announced this during a one-day seminar on validation of the draft Social Protection Policy documents organised by ANEEJ through her ACT NAIJA project, funded by the European Union in partnership with the Kogi State Government. The event was held on Tuesday at the New Age Modern Hall, Lokoja, Kogi State.
In her opening remarks at the seminar, Hon Egwaba said, “We are gathered here as stakeholders to make inputs aimed at strengthening our social security policy. You know, social security is beyond sharing rice and Maggi with the vulnerable women and children. We are talking of legalising welfare policies for the benefit of our people.”
Hon Egwaba, who is the chairman of the House Committee on Women Affairs and Poverty Eradication, said, “As a state, we are yet to establish social protection laws. Though we have the policy at work in some ministries, we have yet to have it as a law of the state
“We want such a state law that will be domiciled in the Ministry of Justice, knowing fully well that social protection is our right, and it must be legalised.
“I must use the opportunity to commend the governor of our state, Alhaji Ahmed Usman Ododo, for making provision for social protection in the 2026 budget estimate. That shows how much the governor cares particularly for the vulnerable citizens and all segments of society.
“So all we need to do in this seminar is to take a critical look at the Kogi social protection documents as stakeholders, perfect it in preparation for the drafting of the bill needed to generate the social security protection laws for our dear state.”
In her welcome address, the Coordinating Officer of The Act Naija Project, Halima Oyiza Sadiq, noted that the theme of the one-day policy draft validation seminar, “Strengthening Social Protection Intervention in Kogi State,” is intended to bring stakeholders together to perfect the draft.
“Since the inception of the project, the Consortium has been working with the state Ministry for Women Affairs and Social Development and the Ministry of Humanitarian Affairs and Poverty Alleviation across various stakeholders towards this policy.
The policy documents defined social protection as a set of policies and programs designed to support individuals and households throughout the life cycle, aimed at preventing and reducing poverty and socio-economic vulnerability, while promoting sustainable livelihood.
Participants in the validation seminar were representatives of the Ministry of Women Affairs and Social Development, Ministry of Humanitarian Affairs and Poverty Alleviation, Ministry of Finance, Budget and Economic Planning, Ministry of Agriculture, Ministry of Health, Ministry of Education, AGILE, NG-CARE, PWD, CSO, media, ANEEJ team, CAN and FOMWAN.
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