Samuel Sunday
Residents of Oye Local Government Area of Ekiti State have been urged to take advantage of government social protection programmes aimed at reducing poverty and improving the welfare of vulnerable citizens. The appeal was made on Thursday during a community outreach organised under the Act Naija Project at Fati Family Hall, opposite Simple Junction, Egbe Street, Oye-Ekiti.
The outreach, themed “Empowering Communities Through Awareness: Strengthening Access and Feedback for an Improved Social Protection Programme in Ekiti State,” was organised by the Act Naija! Project in collaboration with the Africa Network for Environment and Economic Justice (ANEEJ) and the New Initiative for Social Development (NISD), with support from the European Union in Nigeria. The programme brought together officials from the Ministries of Health, Women Affairs, Agriculture, Budget and Economic Planning, as well as the National Cash Transfer Programme, to educate residents on available government interventions and how to access them.
Speaking at the event, a health official, Mrs. Omoleye Mercy Ajoke, described the National Identification Number (NIN) as a key requirement for accessing several government healthcare services. She said pregnant women, children under five, persons living with disabilities, the elderly and other vulnerable groups are eligible for free healthcare across the state, including immunisation, antenatal care, safe delivery, family planning services and malaria treatment at primary healthcare centres.
Mrs. Ogungbemi Olusola of the Ekiti State Ministry of Women Affairs reaffirmed the ministry’s commitment to empowering women, supporting vulnerable households and implementing poverty reduction initiatives. She also called on parents to protect their children from sexual abuse, stressing that rape attracts severe legal consequences, while urging families to prioritise responsible parenting and age-appropriate sex education.
The Coordinator of the Social Register in the Ministry of Budget and Economic Planning, Mr. Alonge Kayode, described the social register as the foundation of government intervention programmes. He disclosed that about 700,000 vulnerable residents have been captured in Ekiti State’s database, explaining that only registered individuals are eligible to benefit from social protection initiatives. He assured residents that additional registration exercises would be conducted across communities.
Also speaking representative of the Ministry of Agriculture and Food Security, Mrs. Ibrahim Ajolola, encouraged residents, particularly youths, to explore agricultural empowerment opportunities through initiatives such as the Youth in Modern Agriculture (YMJ) and the broiler production scheme.
Similarly, Mr. Ajimoko Samuel of the National Cash Transfer Programme urged residents to cooperate with community enumerators during registration exercises, explaining that beneficiary selection is based on the social register.
He also encouraged beneficiaries to share their experiences to inspire wider participation in government intervention programmes.
Participants commended the organisers for taking the sensitisation campaign to the grassroots but raised concerns over challenges encountered during social register enrolment, particularly discrepancies in personal information linked to their National Identification Number.
They appealed to the relevant authorities to address the issues to prevent eligible residents from being excluded from government support. The organisers said the outreach forms part of the Act Naija! Project’s ongoing efforts to strengthen public awareness, improve access to social protection services and promote a more inclusive and responsive social protection system in Ekiti State.
