Oyo State government has entered into partnership with the National Identity Management Commission (NIMC) and the National Social Safety-Net Coordinating Office (NASSCO) to enhance the accuracy of the National Social Register (NSR).
The state Commissioner for Budget and Economic Planning, Professor Musbau Babatunde, stated this at a three-day step-down training for field personnel, held in Oyo Town.
According to him, the initiative, commencing on Thursday, aimed at improving social intervention programmes in Oyo State.
He explained that the field personnel will conduct an update on the social register, as the government plans to leverage the National Identification Number (NIN) for efficient delivery of intervention programmes.
Professor Babatunde, who spoke through the Permanent Secretary of the ministry, Mr. Julius Ayanleke stated that President Bola Tinubu recently directed that, in line with his Renewed Hope Agenda, it is mandatory for all Cash Transfer Recipient Households to have the NIN and beneficiaries must be selected from the National Social Register (NSR) of the poor and vulnerable.
He said the register would “allow a unique identity to be assigned to beneficiaries in order to ensure social inclusion and transparency.”
Babatunde restated that the main objective of the training was to educate participants on the processes and procedures of Household Update and NIN Integration and introduce them to their roles and responsibilities during the conduct of the exercise
He appreciated Governor ‘Seyi Makinde for funding the Community Based Targeting (CBT) exercise in the state.
He said the exercise was aimed at expanding the State Social Register (SSR) and charged the participants to contribute their own quota towards alleviating poverty in Oyo State.
In his remarks, Zonal Targeting Officer, NASSCO, Mr. Lawal Malik who spoke on behalf of the National Programme Manager, stated that the SSR was playing a vital role in Social Safety Nets Programs, serving as a Single Unified Database for targeting beneficiaries of social interventions.
He said the integration of NIN, with the SSR, will enhance the accuracy and efficiency of targeting mechanisms and ensure that the most vulnerable households received the support needed.
Oyo State Coordinator, NIMC, Mr Paul Popoola, stressed the impact of data harmonisation for tracking interventions.
Earlier in his welcome address, Acting Coordinator, Oyo State Operation Coordinating Unit (OYOSOCU), Mr Ismail Salami, said the SSR plays a vital role in social safety-net programmes.
