Ladies and gentlemen, welcome to our engagement today. My inquiry takes me to the question of social Register in Nigeria. Majority of Nigerians recently learnt of the existence of a register for Nigerians. #LeadershipTalks
When and how the register was compiled shocked many Nigerians. Interestingly, such a crucial document upon which the lives of majority of the citizens living below two dollars per day are meant to be catered for is strange to them.
It was not a until COVID-19 exposed our responses to the plight of the vulnerable and poor people that we suddenly learnt of such compilation.
Between that period and up till date, the disproportionate manner of dispensing the reliefs under it as well as the reach of the targets continue to be controversial.
The good news, however, is that the whistle blowers and the custodians of the register admit the inadequacy in the register.
The crux of the matter now is how do we address the challenges, particularly when additional one million names of beneficiaries are to be added under presidential prerogative?
How this will be accomplished within the additional two weeks of the lockdown remains a mystery. However, beyond this period, I am of the view that in doing the proper thing, the precursor to any credible register must be reliable household surveys.
I do not mean the jamboree-like survey purportedly done or being done to generate the current register. It is that which is to be handled professionally and devoid of any interference.
It is that which must be insulated from the politicians and ethnic jingoists or religious bigots. Such credible household surveys would reveal outcomes such as occupancy , employment profile, income, needs etc. Where properly done, it constitutes the bedrock of proper planning.
For now, however, we can't avoid the crash program going on as we have been caught unprepared and it is only expected that a gov't that lays claim to accountability upon which it intends to rest its legitimacy, would definitely do something to assuage the feelings of the masses
Upon recovery from the pandemic, an urgent review and compilation of a new register is inevitable. Such credible register would help the government in gaining some recognition from honest critics who are eager to see Nigeria perform. I submit!
God willing, we shall continue next week. I await contributions on this. #LeadershipTalks
