by Julian Osamoto,
The National Social Protection Forum (NSPF), a coalition of over 140 Civil Society Organisations and Partners in Nigeria, has launched a social protection electoral advocacy campaign.
The campaign, according to the group, is tagged “Social Protection to End Poverty in 2023″.
The Electoral Advocacy campaign is aimed at creating awareness among political party candidates ahead of the general election, to help them to prioritise investment and expansion of social protection programmes for the purpose of reducing poverty in Nigeria.
Speaking at the programme, coordinator of the NSPF, Dr Taiwo Benson, said the campaign is focused on a two-way approach; where the politicians are able to prioritise social protection in their campaign, while citizens also use their votes to demand increased commitment to social protection.
Dr Benson said: “The campaign is geared towards ensuring that electoral candidates and their parties understand the importance of social protection in lifting millions of Nigerians out of poverty and in mobilizing the electorate to use their votes to demand increased coverage of social protection initiatives across the country.”
He urged political candidates to see the 2023 general election as an opportunity to improve the standard of living of Nigerians.
A Disability rights advocate and member of the NSPF, Dr Adebukola Adebayo insisted that social protection was a part of people’s rights and should “not be used as voters’ inducement” during elections, as has been the usual practice by politicians and their cronies.
.Dr Adebayo said Persons with Disabilities (PWDs) rank among the poorest of the poor in society; hence the need to engage political party candidates on social protection issues, so as to help them prioritise it in their campaign agenda.
“This electoral advocacy campaign is a strategy to help to ensure social protection intervention is sustained beyond the current,” he added.
Director, Advocacy Communication Campaign and Media, Save the Children Nigeria, Amanuel Mamo, in his goodwill message, commended the efforts of the CSO and partners on the successful launch of the campaign.
Mr Mamo said addressing multidimensional poverty was necessary and required an “innovative approach”, such that Nigerians irrespective of age and social status can “live a life of dignity and their rights protected”.
The launch, which attracted stakeholders from political parties and government parastatals, was supported by Save the Children Nigeria under its Expanding Social Protection for Inclusive Development (ESPID) Project, funded by the UK Government.
