The United Nations (UN) has raised concerns over the delay in the conduct of national census in Nigeria, saying the country is overdue to hold a new census needed to have reliable data for national planning. The UN frowned at the dependence on statistical data from unofficial sources for making social economic decisions in Nigeria.
United Nations Resident coordinator and Humanitarian Coordinator in Nigeria, Edward Kallon who made the remarks yesterday in Abuja also stated that “we are using all estimates through studies and surveys based on a baseline whose reliability is a major concern.”
Mr Kallon said the census should be backed up with a system of legal identity for all the nation’s citizens, adding that the process will ensure that a reliable Social Registry system can be built over time.
He made the remarks at the high level breakfast dialogue on strengthening institutional framework for social protection and effective operationalisation of the social protection policy for sustainable and equitable development in Nigeria.
Also speaking at the forum, minister of humanitarian affairs, disaster management and social development, Sadiya Umar Farouk called for the establishment of a Social Protection Council with a mandate to address the rising social inequality in the country.
Farouk also said Nigeria needs the right partnership with foreign partners for the right policies and strategies to lift more Nigerians out of poverty.
On his part, the UN representative noted that social protection is an important tool for addressing reduction in poverty and inequality.
Mr Kallon said vulnerability, mapping, inequality and poverty assessment with more updated data especially at the state levels remain major challenges to effective social protection programme in Nigeria.
“We must consciously look at the opportunities to make our interventions transformative. This means that the investments that we make should not only be palliative. Our investments should increasingly be conditional on addressing the root causes of vulnerability. We will not be able to develop an effective and efficient social protection system if we don’t know our people, where they live, what they have, what they do, how they do it etc,” he stated.
Minister of state, Budget and National Planning, Clem Agba said his ministry is in the process of mainstreaming Social Protection into the ongoing Medium Term National Development Plans (2021-2025) and a long term perspective plan which is Nigeria Vision 2050.
An estimated 86.9 million people in Nigeria are now living in estimated rural and urban areas as a result of the COVID 19 Pandemic and an estimated 35,76 are living in multidimensional poverty with some states including between 85-90 per cent suffering from deprivations concerning health, including nutrition, education and standard of living including sanitation, use of water.