Nigeria Social Register, A critical programme for Multidimensional Interventions

Iloke Egbe 

With the renewed hope agenda of Mr President Federal Republic of Nigeria, His Excellency Senator Bola Ahmed Tinubu and the People's first mantra of the Governor, His Excellency Senator Prince Bassey Edet Otu which seeks to achieve the objectives of sustainable development goals by reducing poverty and vulnerability among Nigerians. 

The Cross River State Operations Coordinating Unit SOCU has Carried out sensitization amongst stakeholders in different communities focusing on parts of central and northern Senatorial Districts of the State. 

This has become very necessary to ensure that poor and vulnerable households are identified and registered into the national social register for social intervention using an empirical approach and in a sustainable manner.

As a way of addressing the challenges of poor participation by the target audience, proper information, education and communication with the people remain a vital strategy to achieve successes 

The objectives of the Sensitization amongst communities aimed at educating the public about the benefits the social register provides for Nigerians as an adaptive social register for poor and vulnerable persons at all times in preparedness for any emergencies given the reality of climate change and globalization in the economy and the critical role NIN number plays in the program as a unique identifier.

The interface with communities and their leaders, led by the State coordinator SOCU Mr. Bassey Effiom, the Head of Operations Mr. Godwin Ador, the Head M&E/ MIS Mr. Nsed Akonjom, the Information, Education and Communication Officer Mr Iloke Egbe and the MIS Mr Adie Idiege visited Usaja Eberibala in Ikpakapi ward, Lebulibulikom in Ijima in Ugep urban, Ekamasi-Nkpani in Mkpani-Agoi Ward in Yakurr Local Government Area. The team also visited Inam ward in Ikom Local Government.

The team also visited Bebuabong, Bebua-Awafung, Ukwel-Obudu where 22 different communities gathered to receive the team in Obudu urban 2 while at Bekwarra LGA the team visited Ebua-Afen in Betam Ward, and Umuruya  Ishi-Nyima Umuruya Ward in Ogoja Local Government Area. Other Local Government visits include Yala and Obubra LGA.

Highlights of the visit were explanations of  the benefits acruing to individuals and families and the different interventions  already implemented by the State and Federal Government using the national social register to mine beneficiaries and the imperative of NIN in the Programme.

In an interview, with across section of participants, the youth chairman Umuruya community in Ogoja, Comr. Udey Aju appealed to the Federal Government to increase the percentage of beneficiaries as the low beneficiary makes it look as if the programme is not working, adding that there is a multiplicity of agents performing the same task but payment doesn't reach a significant number of persons.

 While chief Afenson Edward in Ayogoba community Gakem, Bekwarra LGA informed that this farming season it's difficult to gather people for Government officials during farming hours and appealed that the government should increase the frequency of their interventions to the people.