Social Protection Programs are essential in any country, as they help to reduce poverty, improve living conditions, and boost economic stability. These programs aim to reduce the inequality gap, encourage financial inclusion, and provide safety nets for vulnerable individuals and groups in Nigeria. The Nigerian government has put in place several types of social protection programs. These programs are designed to address the challenges of unemployment, poverty, and social injustice through collaboration with foreign organizations and non-governmental bodies.
The creation of these schemes and initiatives provides people and households with greater independence, which should protect them from financial shocks and ensure that they have access to the basic necessities of life.
This article aims to extensively discuss what social protection programs are, social protection policies and the importance of these programmes.
Definition of Social Protection Programs
Social protection can be grouped under an umbrella as all public and private initiatives that aids the transfer of income or consumption to less privileged individuals, protect vulnerable people from being destitute, and improve the social status and rights of the underrepresented minority.
Interventions that target poverty, inequality, and vulnerability in order to enhance people’s well-being are referred to as social protection. The need to alleviate widespread poverty and socioeconomic imbalances has propelled the development of social protection programs in Nigeria over the years. These initiatives are being carried out at all three levels of government, occasionally with collaboration from foreign institutions.
Nigeria’s National Social Protection Policy
The NSPP was first introduced in 2012 to create a thorough framework for social protection in Nigeria. The 2022 revision of the NSPP aims to bring it into accordance with international best practices and include previously unincluded groups. The main objective of Nigeria’s National Social Protection Policy (NSPP) is to minimize the impact of poverty and vulnerability by encouraging social justice and inclusive growth.
It provides a structure for security nets and social protection, which includes several kinds of initiatives and policies. It combines multiple social agenda values with a major aim of minimizing poverty and ensuring that every individual lives a decent life. Considering the high rates of poverty, unemployment, economic instability, and social inequality in Nigeria, social safety measures are important. These policies give the less privileged populations access to healthcare, good education, financial support, and financial opportunities.
Social protection is a multi-sectoral and multi-disciplinary approach that contributes to poverty reduction, articulating policy priorities of government towards sustainable development.
Categories of Social Protection Programs
1. Social Safety Nets: Social safety nets are policies and programs designed to protect families and vulnerable individuals from poverty and hardship by providing temporary assistance to help them manage stressful or tough financial situations. When individuals go through unexpected circumstances like a natural disaster or economic slump, these programs try to save them from drifting into poverty or falling into a poverty trap. Examples of social safety nets may include cash transfers, food grants, education and health services, nutritional programs, and public works that provide temporary jobs.
2. Social Insurance: Social insurance is an initiative supported by the government that uses compulsory payments and benefits to protect people and families from financial strain brought on by economic dangers like old age, disability, or unemployment. Social insurance plans are intended to lessen the negative impact that economic shocks might cause to people and families. Employers and workers frequently make contributions to social insurance platforms, which offer benefits or services to recipients to compensate for their payments. Social health insurance, maternity leave benefits, and death benefits are a few examples.
3. Labour Insurance Policy: The Workmen’s Compensation Insurance, which is required by the Workmen’s Compensation Decree 1987, is the main labour insurance policy in Nigeria. It benefits workers for death or physical harm, illness, or disability resulting from or occurring throughout their job. Employees who suffer illnesses or accidents associated with their jobs are insured by a labour insurance policy, referred to as workmen’s compensation insurance, which covers medical costs and lost earnings. For sick or wounded workers, the coverage pays for medical bills, missed income, and, in some situations, rehabilitation fees.
The Need for Social Protection Programmes
1. High poverty Rate: Despite being the largest economy in Africa, Nigeria has an extreme population of individuals living in poverty and inequality. Ultimately, this has resulted in a crisis relating to human development. Increased instability, severe hunger, and pervasive malnutrition have required the introduction and intervention of policies such as social protection programmes. This has become an essential means for dealing with these societal concerns. To meet the needs of Nigeria’s poor and vulnerable, social protection policies were created. Protection policies can address multiple dimensions of poverty, including income, access to healthcare, education, and food security.
2. Social stability and security: Just like social assistance programs and social insurance schemes, social protection policies can act as a safety net for vulnerable individuals. Such individuals include those who are unemployed, disabled, or experiencing some form of hardship. Social protection programmes ensure that basic needs are met and offer opportunities for economic participation. Social protection policies can help reduce social tensions and build a sense of stability and belonging. In addition, social protection can support economic growth by reducing poverty levels and improving human capital (health, education), which can result in a more productive workforce.
Major Societal Programmes in Nigeria
- National Health Insurance Scheme: The National Health Insurance Scheme (NHIS) in Nigeria is a social protection programme (now NHIA). It was established by Decree 35 of 1999 and was designed with the main objective of assisting all Nigerians, especially low-income earners, with quality and affordable healthcare services. It was created by the Federal Government of Nigeria for the vast majority of the citizens and to supplement resources for healthcare.
- National Social Investments Programmes: The National Social Investments Programmes (NSIP) were created by the Federal Government of Nigeria in 2016 to address poverty and hunger across the nation. The NSIP’s initiative strives to ensure a more equitable distribution of resources to vulnerable groups, such as women, children, and youth. Since 2016, those initiatives have jointly supported over 4 million beneficiaries across the nation through a fair and transparent process supported by the Ministry of Budget and National Planning (MBNP) and other significant MDAs with similar objectives.
In conclusion, social protection programs have played and are still playing huge roles in the economy. They provide financial aids, employment opportunities, healthcare, and educational support for the vulnerable population.
