Odimmegwa Johnpeter/Abuja
Minister of Budget and Economic Planning, Senator Abubakar Bagudu, has emphasised the critical role of effective communication and inclusive policies in strengthening social security systems across West Africa.
Speaking as a Special Guest at the 2-Day International Social Security Association (ISSA) West Africa Technical Seminar 2026, hosted by the Nigeria Social Insurance Trust Fund in collaboration with the International Social Security Association, the Minister highlighted the shared challenges and opportunities facing countries in the sub-region.
Bagudu noted that social security remains a unifying issue across West Africa, emphasising that effective communication is essential to achieving inclusivity.
According to him, countries in the region share common socio-economic realities, making collaborative approaches to social protection both necessary and strategic.
“Social security has evolved over time—from informal, traditional support systems to more structured and formalised frameworks,” the minister said, adding, “Platforms such as this seminar offer an important opportunity to share experiences, adopt best practices, and use communication tools to ensure no one is left behind.”
He commended ISSA and Nigerian stakeholders for their continued efforts to advance social protection systems and highlighted Nigeria’s ongoing reforms, including pension restructuring, targeted cash transfer programmes, and broader macroeconomic reforms, as part of efforts to achieve sustainable and inclusive growth.
He emphasised that sustainability and inclusivity must go hand in hand, noting that economic growth alone is insufficient if it does not translate into improved welfare for citizens, particularly those at the lower end of the income spectrum.
Bagudu highlighted the Federal Government’s commitment to grassroots development, referencing the administration’s Renewed Hope Ward Development Plan, approved by President Bola Tinubu.
The initiative, he said, aims to map economic opportunities across Nigeria’s 8,809 wards and to establish governance structures that support local productivity, decentralise social interventions, and improve service delivery.
“We must be deliberate in ensuring that hardworking Nigerians—farmers, traders, artisans—receive commensurate rewards for their efforts,” he said, adding, “By strengthening ward-level systems, we can improve visibility, accountability, and the overall effectiveness of social security programmes.”
Bagudu also encouraged participating countries to use the seminar as a platform for knowledge exchange, noting that although governance systems may differ across the region, shared learning can accelerate progress towards building resilient and inclusive social protection frameworks.
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