Implementation of Social Intervention Policies in Nigeria

(A Survey of Economic Planning Commission and Ministry of Human Capital Development and Poverty Reduction in Enugu State

Abstract

The study assessed implementation framework of Social Intervention Policies (Social Safety Nets) in Nigeria with a focus on the national cash transfers  programme vis-à-vis the Conditional Cash Transfer (CCT) and the N-Power Programme within the mandate of the two ministries in Enugu State. The social intervention policies were also referred to as social protection policies. The main crux of the study to find out how this action of the government to provide a means of livelihood for the poorest poor and the vulnerable in order to give them a sense of livelihood or belonging and also give hope and jobs to the unemployed. The programme is a national programme going on in all the states of the federation. However, for the purpose of this work two MDA’s are selected- Economic planning commission Enugu and Ministry of Human Capital
Development and Poverty Reduction, since the programme is within their mandate. The rational for this write up was based on the importance of poverty eradication, vis-à-vis the objectives of MDGs and SDGs for UN countries. This is because a nation where more than half of its population is poor and unemployed can never boast of enhanced social and economic
development. The theoretical framework adopted was the livelihood Portfolio theory by Chris de Neubourg and Maslow, theory of needs to x-ray social intervention as a function of government and importance of basic needs satisfaction to give the poorest poor a sense of belonging in the society. The method adopted for the research was a descriptive type and analysis was based on the desk research work and the data collected from the field. It was found out that the framework for implementation exists from federal to the grass root level of government, but lacked proper authority and responsibilities at the state and local government level,. Also problems like institutional capacity, poor coordination and supervision, poor service delivery and infrastructure, low value of the cash transfers, etc hindered the effectiveness of its objectives. Based on the findings, recommendations were made on the way forward for a goal oriented national cash transfer programme; that the government should improve institutional capacity, proper coordination and supervision of social service delivery and infrastructure at all levels of government /the social sector, adoption of proper monitoring and evaluation method, etc.