From Sola Ojo, Kaduna
The Kaduna State Commissioner of Planning and Budget Commission, Mohammed Abdullahi Sani Dattijo, on Thursday hinted that 2.6 million poor and vulnerable individuals have now been captured in the state’s social register.
A social register is a tool developed by the federal government to develop a database for poor and vulnerable individuals and homes where government, non-governmental organisations and individuals can mine data for poverty alleviation programmes or interventions aimed at reducing socioeconomic socks.
The Kaduna government has since keyed into the social register development safety net with the help of the state office coordinating unit (SOCU) domiciled in the Planning and Budget Commission.
This social protection effort would reduce poverty and ensure social inclusion among Kaduna citizens who may fall below the poverty line especially with a social protection policy in place and a bill already before Kaduna State House of Assembly to that effect.
Delivering a keynote address titled “The Role of Students in achieving the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs)” at a summit organised by the Kaduna State Students (KADSU) held at the Kaduna State University, Kaduna, the commissioner restated the determination of the current administration to improve the welfare of Kaduna people.
Dattilo said ‘as a subnational, Kaduna State has one of the functional Bureau of Statistics which has carried out a comprehensive survey. And so far, we have about 2.6m people on our social register.’
Sani Dattijo disclosed that the state government has provided over N4 billion in the 2022 budget for pro-poor interventions that seek to support the vulnerable and ensure social inclusion among the urban and rural poor citizens across the state.
‘Today’s generation of youths is the largest the world has ever known; Young people are changing the landscape with high demand for skilled opportunities, As young people, we can define the trajectory of development,’ he added.
According to him, young people forms 80% of the population in Kaduna State, therefore they are critical in determining the future of the state and represents hope for the attainment of the SDGs.
‘And to attain the SDGs, Mohammed I urge you – students and young people – to become the voice of social transformation and active citizens while leveraging on creative ideas, technologies and interconnectedness in addition to conducting innovative research that that will fast-tracks the attainment of the 17 SDGs,’ the commissioner urged the students.
