Fatima Abubakar, director-general of the Kano Social Protection Agency (KASPA), has unveiled an eight-point strategic plan to expand social protection programmes in Kano State. She presented the framework at a two-day joint Social Protection Technical Working Group meeting in Kadura, organised by the UNICEF Kano Field Office for representatives from Kano, Katsina and Jigawa. The plan, developed with stakeholders, aims to drive key reforms over the next six to 12 months through coordinated action across agencies and states. The first priority is establishing an inter-state coordination framework, with quarterly TWG meetings and unified reporting templates to improve collaboration. A second focus is boosting financing by creating dedicated budget lines, leveraging Islamic social finance tools like zakat and waqf, and pursuing public-private partnerships and donor support. KASPA also plans to scale up the Universal Child Benefit (UCB) programme through pilot expansions in select local government areas. This will include refining targeting systems and integrating child-sensitive indicators with support from UNICEF and the National Social Investment Programme. The agency will also upgrade social registries by harmonising data, deploying digital systems, and improving accuracy with the National Social Register Office and state ICT units. Monitoring and accountability will be strengthened through performance indicators, regular reviews, and improved feedback mechanisms with civil society support. Climate-responsive and child-sensitive approaches will be embedded in policies, aligning with environmental adaptation strategies. Public awareness campaigns, community engagement and media collaboration will boost outreach. Capacity building for SP personnel, peer learning visits and operational guidelines will round out the reform agenda. Shared platforms for reporting, financing, and knowledge exchange will support implementation across the three states.
Fatima Abubakar is betting on coordination and Islamic finance to fix social protection in northern Nigeria — but past plans have collapsed under weak implementation. Without tracking how much zakat or donor funds actually reach beneficiaries, this eight-point framework risks becoming another document gathering dust in a government office. If even half of it works, thousands of vulnerable families in Kano, Jigawa and Katsina could see real support within a year. The real test isn't the plan — it's whether monthly payments, accurate registers and functional grievance systems follow.
