The Anambra government says its Social Protection Policy will be ready for implementation in January 2023.

Chiamaka Nnake, the Commissioner for Budget and Economic Planning, disclosed this at a Stakeholders’ Validation of the Draft Policy Document in partnership with the Africa Network For Environment and Economic Justice (ANEEJ) in Awka.

Ms Nnake described the policy as a government programme to assist individuals in managing risk and volatility and protect them from poverty and inequality while helping them access economic opportunity.

She said the workshop was targeted at rallying support and inputs from various stakeholders involved in social protection to ensure robust, holistic and implementable policy.

“It is expected to be ready by the second week of January 2023.

“We still have windows after today to take as much feedback as possible because we want it to be holistic and reflect the minds of the people to social protection issues in the state,” stated the commissioner.

Leo Atakpu, ANEEJ’s deputy executive director, said the project was his organisation’s contribution to support government efforts in five states in tackling poverty in Nigeria.

According to him, recent statistics by the National Bureau of Statistics revealed that 133 million Nigerians live in poverty.

“The struggle to lift more citizens out of poverty is an indictment on successive governments which have mismanaged the nation’s vast resources over the years,” Mr Atakpu explained. “It is a wake-up call for all tiers of governments to take deliberate steps by putting the right policies in place to address the poverty crisis at the national and sub-national levels.”

(NAN)