Nigeria gets social registry to capture the poor

The Ministry of Budget and National Planning has set up the National Social Registry (NSR) is a part of Federal Government’s effort to capture the poor and vulnerable in Nigeria.
Mr Olajide Odewale, the ministry’s Permanent Secretary, said this during an engagement meeting with Ministries, Departments and Agencies (MDAs) and Donor partners on NSR in Abuja.
Odewale said the register would help improve services in the country and that a lot of misinformation and invalidated data were out there in the public domain.
“And attempt to use the data to implement the interventions have led sometimes to undesirable outcomes, hence the need to take the right steps.
“First, by warehousing details of the poor and vulnerable Nigerians irrespective of the location and socia-economic standings.
“I therefore, thank President Muhammadu Buhari for his visionary position and determination to ensure that every Nigerian is counted and given basic social service.’’
Odewale expressed optimism that the forum would address grey areas of the current NSR and shed more light on how MDAs could leverage on the register.
He said it would also provide the developers of the NSR feedback from seasoned technocrats on measures to better implement the register.
Odewale expressed the ministry’s commitment to ensuring that the NSR was sustained and utilised by all stakeholders.
He then commended the representatives of the various MDAs and donor partners for their efforts and contribution to the success of the NSR.
The World Bank Representative, Prof Foluso Okunmodewa, in his remarks expressed optimism that the NSR would resolve the errors of exclusions in the country.
“What is important for us at the bank is to make sure that we protect the quality and credibility of this register.
“I enjoin all the partners to ensure the register in terms of credibility is protected,’’ he said.
Mrs Hajara Sami, the Acting National Coordinator, Youth Employment and Social Support Operation (YESSO), said the forum was timely and pledged commitment to support the NSR drive.
Mr Hamidou Poufon, the Chief of Social Policy, United Nations International Children Emergency Fund  (UNICEF), also pledged the fund’s  commitment to support the register.