The National Bureau of Statistics (NBS), in collaboration with the International Labour Organisation (ILO) and United Nations Children's Fund (UNICEF), is working to unify Nigeria's social protection data. This initiative aims to strengthen policy planning, program targeting, and reporting on the country's global development commitments. The project is supported by the European Union-funded Supporting Sustainable Social Protection Systems (SUSI) program.
A three-day National Social Protection Statistics Dialogue and Data Collection Engagement is scheduled for September 22 to 24 in Abuja. The event will bring together about 160 stakeholders from federal and state governments, social assistance programs, pension and health insurance institutions, statistical agencies, planning bodies, and development partners. The dialogue will provide a platform for institutions generating social protection data to validate their records and agree on mechanisms for regular data sharing.
According to the ILO Abuja Office, administrative data on social protection are currently generated by multiple institutions but remain fragmented, inconsistent in quality, and insufficiently aligned with national and international reporting standards. This situation has limited policymakers' ability to make evidence-based decisions and constrained Nigeria's capacity to effectively monitor progress in social protection, particularly under Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) Indicator 1.3.1.
The ILO Abuja Office explained that technical engagements already conducted in Abia, Benue, Oyo, and Sokoto states had demonstrated both the potential for progress and the persistent gaps in coordination, standardization, and institutional alignment. The national dialogue is required to reflect the country as a whole and not only the four pilot states covered by the SUSI intervention.
A key component of the engagement will be the introduction and operationalization of the Social Protection Management Information System (SP-MIS). The SP-MIS is designed to strengthen the coordination, management, and use of social protection data. The initiative will combine strategic dialogue with practical technical sessions, including training on data collection tools, guided submission and validation of administrative data, and demonstrations of the SP-MIS.
The participants are also expected to examine international statistical standards and the requirements for reporting SDG 1.3.1, while identifying measures needed to integrate, validate, and regularly report social protection statistics. Reliable social protection statistics are essential for policy design, targeting, budgeting, and monitoring. Without accurate data, interventions risk inefficiency and exclusion of vulnerable populations.
The initiative is expected to establish a mechanism for sustaining the production and sharing of social protection statistics. A Social Protection Statistics Bulletin Committee will be inaugurated to coordinate regular data sharing and lead the annual production of a national social protection statistics bulletin. The move builds on the broader SUSI program being implemented by the ILO and UNICEF with EU support to strengthen Nigeria's social protection system at federal and state levels.
Key points
- The National Bureau of Statistics, ILO, and UNICEF are collaborating to unify Nigeria's social protection data.
- The initiative aims to strengthen policy planning, program targeting, and reporting on the country's global development commitments.
- A Social Protection Statistics Bulletin Committee will be established to coordinate regular data sharing and lead the annual production of a national social protection statistics bulletin.
