By Nafiu Busari
The Oyo State Government has begun the pilot phase of using Multidimensional Poverty Indicators to expand the state’s Social Register under the EU-funded SUSI Project implemented with the International Labour Organization (ILO) and UNICEF.
Commissioner for Budget and Economic Planning, Professor Musbau Babatunde, announced this while opening a State Technical Consultation Meeting with Ministries, Departments and Agencies and the Social Protection Technical Working Group.
Professor Babatunde said the meeting aims to strengthen coordination and improve the delivery of social protection programmes targeted at poor and vulnerable households.
He stressed that social protection is multidimensional and requires strong collaboration among all MDAs to ensure inclusiveness and sustainability.
He added that poverty-measurement criteria, budget allocation for the poor, and equitable resource distribution must be clearly defined and applied across all sectors.
The commissioner said Oyo State’s inclusion in the EU-SUSI Project represents another milestone in Governor Seyi Makinde’s commitment to sustainable development and human capital growth.
He reaffirmed the administration’s commitment to data-driven, transparent social protection initiatives that “leave no one behind.”
Earlier, Permanent Secretary of the Ministry of Budget and Economic Planning, Mr Tunde Ayanleke, thanked UNICEF for its continuous support and commended Governor Makinde for approving a household survey that will strengthen data-driven planning and policy implementation.
State Coordinator of the Oyo State Operation Coordinating Unit (OYOSOCU), Mr Ismail Salami, said poverty in Nigeria should not be measured solely by monetary indicators.
He explained that the meeting was convened to agree on additional indicators that will make poverty measurement in Oyo State more accurate and inclusive.
Mr Salami said the programme aims to create a shock-responsive register that improves preparedness for future social and economic challenges.
He noted that the pilot phase is being implemented in four states — Oyo, Abia, Benue, and Sokoto — with ten local government areas selected in Oyo State.
Social Policy and Programme Manager at UNICEF Lagos Office, Mr Muhammad Okorie, said the European Union is the main sponsor of the Sustainable Social Protection Programme implemented through UNICEF in the four states.
He added that Oyo State is pioneering a new approach to social protection using Multidimensional Poverty Indicators for more targeted interventions.
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