Zamfara State Government will soon inaugurate its first social protection council, the Secretary to the State Government, Alhaji Kabiru Balarabe has said.
Balarabe disclosed this in Gusau on Wednesday while declaring open five-day training for trainers on social inclusion and inclusive social protection.
The News Agency of Nigeria reports that the training was organised by Save the Children International an NGO funded by Foreign Commonwealth Development Office (FCDO).
The training which is part of the activities of Expanding Social Protection Inclusive Development (ESPID), a UKaid funded project had participants from social protection implementing MDAs in the state and Civil Society Organisations working on social protection.
The SSG, who described the training as timely, reiterated that the state was one of the most peaceful states in the country.
“The present administration in the state is open to collaboration with all development partners for the development of the state.
“Very soon, the state government will inaugurate its first social protection council to ensure effective coordination of social protection activities and programmes in the state’’, he said.
He commended the SCI for supporting the state in developing the capacity of the stakeholders through its laudable Child Development Grand Project (CDGP) and ESPID interventions.
In his remark, the State Head of Service, Alhaji Kabir Muhammad said that the training came at the right time where all the key stakeholders are collaborating as a team to improve the livelihood of the people.
Muhammad called on the participants to apply the knowledge acquired from training in their various places of work.
“The composition of the participants represents the state civil service, so I am confident that the desired result would be realised.
“I believe the effort will enable for a proper coordination of all the Federal and State’s Social Interventions in the state’’, the head of service explained.
Malam Nasiru Biyabiki, the Chairman Zamfara Social Protection Platform (ZSPP), a Civil Society Network working to promote social protection activities in the state commended the state government for the gesture.
He commended the state government for providing the enabling environment and open-door policy for development partners and civil society organisations working in the state.
Biyabiki also acknowledged the efforts of SCI for supporting the state to develop social protection laws and policies which according to him remained a force to reckon with for sustainable development.
Earlier, the ESPID Advocacy and Communication Officer, Nura Muhammad pledged to continue building the capacity of the stakeholders on inclusive social protection throughout the extension period of the project.