…..Planning Ministry says Protection Council to be emplaced soon.
Strengthening of Social Protection Organs in Ondo state, the state Ministry of Economic Planning and Budget has started training officials in collaboration with the International Labour Organisation (ILO) to improve the Capacity of Technical Working Group on Social Protection.
Speaking at the capacity building in Akure, the state Capital, the Coordinator, Ondo State Operation Coordinating Unit, Mr. Olaoluwa Bankole, explained that tackling challenges facing the vulnerable and meeting their need, is the highest calling one can be engaged in without which a society cannot be deemed civilized.
Bankole who used the opportunity to appreciate ILO for funding and providing technical assistance through the Global Accelerator Lab Nigeria (GALAB) project for the state Technical Working Group, further restated commitment of SOCU to meeting its mandate which is to continue to compile the register of vulnerable household in the state.
He assured the residents of Ondo state of the government’s commitment to ensuring social protection for the less privileged in the state.
Bankole, emphasized that the purpose of the meeting is to promote significant progress and development in strategies for providing social protection in Ondo state, assuring members that the outcomes of this meeting will lead to practical implementation in advancing social protection.
He highlighted the significance of the meetings, emphasizing the need for more ideas and strategies to achieve the goals, and assured the benefits that people will receive from the government’s policies.
He also noted the involvement of various organizations collaborating with the Technical Working Group to ensure that the outreach extends to the most remote areas in the state.
Bankole specifically mentioned the Global Lab Accelerator, GALAB, as an organization partnering with the state government to provide technical support for the smooth implementation of policies, with a focus on combating child labour and forced labour in the state.
He urged individuals to support the government in providing maximum care for the less privileged in society, emphasizing the importance of aligning with the government in such endeavours.
“If you understand the whole architecture surrounding the social protection. It is good to help the vulnerable in the state to benefit maximally from government and non-governmental intervention. It is understood that the idea of caring for the less privileged in the society can not be left to government alone.
“The Technical Working Group is known for its in-depth exploration of agencies that can contribute to social protection for sustainable societal growth and is considered the engine room for the council,” Bankole said.
The Acting Permanent Secretary of the Ministry of Economic Budget and Planning, Mr. Bamidele Daisi, who declared the meeting open, pledged the state government’s support to ensure the sustainability of the Technical Working Group in fulfilling its mandate.
The meeting was attended by various organizations, including the Ministry of Health, the Bureau of Statistics, the Health Contributing Commission, the Ministry of Women Affairs, the Office of Defenders, labour unions, the Ministry of Youths and Sports, and the State Primary Health Care Development Agency among others.
