Sanwo-Olu affirms commitment to funding implementation of social protection policy

Lagos govt, NCF urge conservatory approach to tackle climate change

Lagos State Governor, Mr. Babajide Sanwo-Olu, has unveiled the state’s social protection policy to combat the socio-economic vulnerability to poverty and deprivation at all levels in the society.
 
The policy is a framework that will provide direction, clarity and ensure consistency in the implementation of different programmes and initiatives by Ministries, Departments and Agencies (MDAs) of the state.
 
In a statement, yesterday, Sanwo-Olu, at the public presentation of the policy handbook, said the recent global economic downturn and uncertainty orchestrated by COVID-19 pandemic and other emerging realities compelled the government to provide the policy.

The governor said the critical role social protection plays in combating poverty and supporting the vulnerable necessitated the approval of the framework by the State Executive Council.
 
Sanwo-Olu, represented by the Commissioner for Economic Planning and Budget, Mr. Sam Egube, said one of the pledges he made while coming into office was to tackle poverty and ensure a life of dignity to the residents as captured in the administration’s development agenda.
  
Meanwhile, Chief Executive Officer, Social Policy, UNICEF Nigeria, Dr. Hamidou Poufon, commended Sanwo-Olu’s willingness and commitment to ensuring realisation of the social protection policy, as well as the state government’s support. He added that Lagos State government had always led and UNICEF is proud to be collaborating in realising goals of solving poverty and vulnerability issues.

IN another development, Lagos State government yesterday, urged residents to embrace a conservatory approach to forestry and ecosystem within the state to ameliorate climate change impact.

The state’s Commissioner for Agriculture, Abisola Olusanya, gave the charge at the 2022 International Day of Forests (IDF) organised by the ministry in collaboration with the Nigerian Conservation Foundation (NCF) and other partners.

The IDF was set aside to raise awareness about importance and contributions of forests to the Earth’s life cycle and alert consciousness to extraordinary challenges confronting the world.

Olusanya charged residents to guard against indiscriminate destruction of forests, as they are crucial to mitigating climate change and contribute to current and future generations’ stability and well-being.

Also, the Co-ordinator, Green Recovery Nigeria of the NCF, Folakea Salawu, said the collaboration was in line with one of NCF’s flagship programmes, which seek to increase the forest cover in Nigeria from the present seven per cent to 25 per cent through planting of eight million trees across the country.