Photo Credit: The Sun Nigeria / Gombe State Government
Gombe Sets 15% Poverty Reduction Target by 2030 Under New Social Protection Policy
GOMBE – The Gombe State Government has unveiled an ambitious plan to cut poverty in the state by 15% by 2030 through its proposed Gombe State Social Protection Policy 2027-2030.

The proposed policy seeks to create a comprehensive, inclusive and shock-responsive system that will reduce poverty and vulnerability, build human capital and resilience, and expand access to basic services for all residents.

The target was disclosed in a presentation by Dr. Ali Madina Dankumo of the Department of Economics and Development Studies, Federal University of Kashere, during a two-day validation workshop on the policy, its Implementation Plan and the Monitoring, Evaluation, Accountability and Learning (MEAL) Plan held in Gombe.

According to the document, the policy’s vision is to build “a healthy, peaceful and prosperous State” under the mantra “Better Life for all residents.”

It identifies high multidimensional poverty, child deprivation, rural disadvantage, food insecurity, climate shocks and insecurity as major challenges, with women, children, youths, persons with disabilities and the elderly marked as priority groups.

The framework adopts a life-cycle approach:
• Early childhood & School-age: Nutrition, healthcare, sanitation, early learning, education support, school feeding for Primary 1-3 pupils, and protection programmes. • Youth: Skills development, employment, entrepreneurship and access to finance. • Working-age: Decent work, livelihood support and social insurance. • Older persons: Income security, healthcare and social inclusion.
Key interventions include cash and in-kind transfers, education and health fee waivers, exam support, scholarships, emergency relief, expansion of GoHealth health insurance, improved pensions, and social protection for informal workers. It also proposes agricultural inputs, agro-credit, MSME support, public works and private sector incentives.

The policy outlines 10 strategic objectives, including protecting households against shocks, improving food security and nutrition, promoting sustainable livelihoods and strengthening coordination among agencies.

The document admitted that the previous 2021-2026 policy suffered from inconsistent implementation, inadequate and delayed funding, over-reliance on development partners, political interference in selecting beneficiaries, weak inter-agency coordination, duplication of programmes and limited community participation.

To fix this, the new policy proposes stronger coordination between MDAs, local governments, traditional and religious leaders, CSOs, development partners and the private sector. It also plans to strengthen the State Social Register and create the Gombe State Social Protection Information Management System (GSPIMS) for better targeting.

On funding, it notes that state budget alone will not be enough and proposes a Social Protection Trust Fund, federal incentives, donor support, private and philanthropic contributions, and special contingency funds.

Implementation will be tracked through annual reviews, mid-term and end-of-term evaluations, performance-based budgeting and beneficiary feedback and grievance mechanisms.

The validation workshop was described as a forum to test whether the policy is appropriate, relevant, understandable, acceptable and implementable, with participants urged to point out gaps, disagreements and implementation risks.

Ultimately, the policy aims to shift Gombe from fragmented palliatives to an integrated system that protects residents from shocks and promotes equity and inclusion.
SOURCE: The Sun Nigeria