By Saminu Ibrahim
The Federal Government has launched the $1 billion Household Prosperity and Economic Social Protection Project (HOPE-SP), as part of sweeping reforms aimed at strengthening Nigeria’s social protection and humanitarian response systems.
The project, themed “From Palliatives to Pathways,” was unveiled on Wednesday by the First Lady, Senator Oluremi Tinubu, at the Banquet Hall of the State House, Abuja.
Tinubu commended the Minister of Humanitarian Affairs and Poverty Reduction, Dr Bernard Doro, and his team for their efforts to transform humanitarian interventions from temporary relief into sustainable pathways to recovery, empowerment and self-reliance.
She said the initiatives would improve the identification, targeting and support of vulnerable households, strengthen coordination among humanitarian and poverty-reduction programmes, provide shock-responsive assistance and promote accountability and measurable outcomes.
Speaking at the event, Doro said the launch represented a strategic shift from palliatives to sustainable pathways, with vulnerable households placed at the centre of government interventions.
He said the reforms were designed to tackle fragmentation, duplication and the existence of multiple uncoordinated registries by establishing a unified national architecture connecting identification, needs assessment, targeted intervention, protection, empowerment, poverty graduation and sustainable growth.
Doro said the One Humanitarian, One Poverty Response System (OHOPRS) would serve as a major system reform by bringing humanitarian response, social protection and poverty reduction interventions under a coordinated national framework.
According to him, the framework will be supported by unified registries, digital delivery systems, improved financing, stronger institutions, accountability mechanisms and real-time intelligence.
Other initiatives unveiled at the event included the Emergency Shock-Responsive Cash Transfer, the FMHAPR Ministerial Blueprint and the Humanitarian First magazine, which will document the experiences and impact of government interventions on beneficiaries.
On his part, the Permanent Secretary of the ministry, Olubunmi Olusanya, said the initiatives would strengthen coordination and accountability, stressing that the ultimate measure of success would be the tangible improvement in the lives of vulnerable Nigerians.
Goodwill messages were delivered by Borno State Governor, Prof. Babagana Umara Zulum, on behalf of governors and sub-national governments; Minister of Budget and Economic Planning, Abubakar Bagudu; former Minister of State for Humanitarian Affairs, Dr Yusuf Tanko Sununu; the European Union; the World Bank; and other international development partners.
They commended the Federal Government’s efforts to strengthen Nigeria’s social protection and humanitarian systems.
The event also featured a cultural performance by the Irigwe New Wave Dance Troupe from Plateau State.
