Sokoto, Nigeria — The European Union (EU), working with United Nations agencies and a coalition of international development partners, has reaffirmed its commitment to support Sokoto State in reducing poverty and closing gaps in health, education and social protection, following a high-level mission that reviewed EU-backed interventions across the state.
The delegation—led by the EU Delegation to Nigeria’s Head of Cooperation, Massimo De Luca, and joined by UNICEF, UNFPA, the International Labour Organisation (ILO) and partner organisations including Plan International Nigeria, Action Against Hunger (ACF), CARE and the Danish Refugee Council (DRC)—held meetings with Governor Ahmed Aliyu and visited project sites such as schools, primary health care centres, internally displaced persons (IDP) camps and community-based service points.
Officials said the visits were aimed at assessing progress and identifying practical steps to strengthen public systems that deliver essential services—especially for women, children, adolescents and other vulnerable groups.
A central outcome of the mission was the presentation of a new multidimensional poverty data tool under the EU-funded Supporting Sustainable Social Protection Systems in Nigeria (SUSI) programme, backed by €14 million. The programme is designed to strengthen social protection policy, improve budgeting and delivery systems, and support development of a comprehensive social registry capable of identifying households most in need—including families without birth registration or National Identification Numbers (NIN), out-of-school children and households affected by malnutrition or limited access to primary health care.
Development partners framed the effort as part of a longer-term approach to move social assistance beyond ad hoc support, using interoperable registries and evidence-led targeting to improve efficiency and accountability.
The renewed pledge builds on earlier EU-UNICEF social registry support in Sokoto, including plans announced in 2025 to expand community enrolment and close gaps in household data used for social assistance.
While partners described the mission as demonstrating momentum, they also highlighted persistent pressures—including displacement, food insecurity, and climate-related shocks that continue to strain community resilience and increase demand for health, education and protection services.
