By Abubakar Yunusa
Zamfara State Governor, Dauda Lawal Dare, has called for a shift in Nigeria’s social protection strategy from short-term cash interventions to a broader and more sustainable inclusive growth framework.
Lawal made the call on Thursday in Abuja while speaking as Guest of Honour at a one-day stakeholders’ engagement with local government chairmen themed “Strengthening Local Government Leadership for Inclusive Development and Social Protection Delivery.”
The governor said the country continues to grapple with multidimensional challenges including insecurity, displacement, food shortages and economic disruptions, which have deepened vulnerability among citizens, particularly women, children, persons with disabilities and rural communities.
According to him, while cash-based interventions remain important, they are not sufficient to address the structural causes of poverty and exclusion across the country.
“It is therefore imperative that social protection interventions are better coordinated, data-driven, transparent and effectively targeted to ensure limited resources reach those who genuinely need them,” he said.
Lawal emphasised that inclusive growth must extend beyond direct financial support to include livelihood programmes, skills development, agricultural productivity, access to healthcare, education, financial inclusion and community resilience initiatives.
He stressed that such measures would enable vulnerable groups to transition from dependency to sustainable economic participation.
The governor also underscored the critical role of local government councils, describing them as the closest tier of government to the people and indispensable to effective grassroots mobilisation, data collection and monitoring of interventions.
He further advocated stronger collaboration between federal, state and local government institutions, as well as development partners, to strengthen the implementation of the National Social Protection Framework.
Lawal commended ongoing efforts to integrate the National Social Protection Register with the National Identification System, noting that it would enhance transparency, reduce duplication and improve service delivery.
However, he warned that technology alone would not solve governance challenges without strong institutional support and coordinated stakeholder engagement.
The governor reaffirmed his commitment to policies that promote inclusive growth, strengthen community systems and improve social protection delivery across Nigeria, urging participants to deepen accountability and transparency in governance.
