Abia unveils EU-funded social protection project

Abia unveils EU-funded social protection project

Abdullateef Fowewe

Abia Governor, Alex Otti, has officially launched the European Union-funded Support for Sustainable and Innovative Social Protection Systems in Nigeria (SUSI) at the Government House Banquet Hall, Umuahia.

The governor in a statement shared on X, commented that the programme, implemented in partnership with UNICEF and the ILO, aims to strengthen social protection and support the state’s most vulnerable citizens.

He wrote, “As part of this commitment, the EU generously donated IT equipment and accessories to the Abia State Government, a vital contribution that will drive our data collection efforts and address longstanding concerns around data integrity.

“I also inaugurated the Abia State Social Protection Council, reaffirming our dedication to inclusive governance.

“With structured institutions like the Ministry of Poverty Alleviation and Social Protection, Abia State Commission for the Welfare of Disabled Persons, and Abia State Senior Citizen Centre, we are building a State where no one is left behind.

“Special thanks to the European Union Head of Delegation to Nigeria and ECOWAS, HE Ambassador Gautier Mignot, Country Director of the International Labour Organisation (ILO) office for Nigeria, Ghana, Liberia and Sierra Leone, Dr Vanessa Lerato Phala-Moyo, and UNICEF Chief of Field Services, Judith Leveillee, and all our partners for their unwavering support in building a resilient and equitable Abia.”