Seventeenth International Conference on Environmental, Cultural, Economic & Social Sustainability

Abstract

The National Social Investments Programmes (NSIP) is among the first programmes on the African continent driving the implementation of the sustainable development goal on poverty eradication. It is expected that the poorest and most vulnerable Nigerians will get access to social safety nets by 2021 through a US$500 million International Development Association credit approved in June 2016 by the World Bank Group’s Board of Executive Directors. At the time the Nigerian Government established the NSIP in 2016 to tackle poverty and hunger across the country, never did it know that a global pandemic was going to surface four years later. The suite of programmes under the NSIP focuses on ensuring a more equitable distribution of resources to vulnerable populations, including children, youth and women. Since 2016, these programmes combined have supported over 4 million beneficiaries across the country. The mandatory lockdown in the country to minimize spread of COVID 19 meant an increased interest in NSIP programmes. With children and parents compelled to stay at home, comes the need to support them 24 hours since schools have remained closed at the time of this paper. This paper examines how the NSIP is addressing poverty in Nigeria especially at the time of the global pandemic.