By Abdullahi Tukur Birnin Kebbi
The Kebbi State Government, has assured its readiness to partner with the European Union and other implementing partners for the effective implementation of the Social Safety Net project in the state.
This assurance was given by the State Deputy Governor, Senator Umar Abubakar Tafida, while receiving a team from the EU led by the Country Director of OXFAM, Tijani Ahmed Hamza, who paid him an advocacy visit in Birnin Kebbi.
The Deputy Governor thanked the European Union for selecting Kebbi State as a beneficiary state, assuring that the state government is committed to ensuring the project’s success and potentially extending it beyond the initial 3-year period.
He emphasized the importance of the social safety register in identifying vulnerable households in the society, urging the EU to update the register to ensure inclusivity of all vulnerable households.
Senator Umar Tafida assured the team of the state government’s full support to OXFAM and other implementing partners to enable them achieve the project’s main objectives.
Earlier, the leader of the team, Tijani Ahmed Hamza, Country Director of OXFAM, stated that they were in the Deputy Governor’s office to inform the state government of their plans regarding the social safety projects.
He explained that the Social Safety Net project is sponsored by the European Union and implemented, with OXFAM and other partners, to assist vulnerable households.
Tijani Ahmed noted that, the project, which began in 2016 in Kebbi and Adamawa states, has been successful in Kebbi State, leading to the EU’s decision to extend it to six local government areas which were chosen based on assessment including the security context and other variables. The local government areas are Augie, Gwandu, Jega, Shanga, Bagudo, and Danko Wasagu.
According to him, the project focuses on social protection systems, inclusive gender transmission, climate-smart agriculture, and supporting small-scale farmers in order to reduce poverty and address economic challenges, thereby improving the living standards of households.
