Kaduna, Nigeria – A significant step towards enhancing social protection systems in response to climate change impacts has been made with the conclusion of a two-day technical session focused on developing a community engagement framework. Organized by the OGP Technical Working Group (TWG) on Strengthening Social Protection Systems, the session took place on June 27th and 28th, 2024, in collaboration with the OpenGov Youth Innovation Hub, Network of Civil Society in Environment (NCSE), Kaduna Local Government Accountability Mechanism (KADLGAM), and the Centre for Water and Environmental Development (CWED).
The session brought together a diverse group of stakeholders, including the Special Assistant to the Governor on Climate Change, the Co-Chair on Citizens Engagement from SAP III, representatives from the Joint National Association of Persons with Disabilities (JONAPWD) – Kaduna Chapter, Kaduna Maternal Accountability Mechanism (KADMAM), Coalition of Associations for Leadership, Peace, Empowerment and Development (CALPED), Green Climate Africa, traditional rulers, and various civil society organizations.
The primary objectives of the session were to enhance understanding of the impacts of climate change on social protection systems, explore effective community engagement strategies, and develop a comprehensive community engagement framework tailored to address climate change-related shocks within these systems.
Key highlights and observations from the session included:
1. Government Commitment: The Kaduna State government was praised for its dedication to developing a climate change policy, appointing a Special Assistant to the Governor on Climate Change, and prioritizing social protection interventions.
2. Knowledge Exchange: The session facilitated robust knowledge exchange and the identification of best practices in climate-responsive social protection through community engagement.
3. Framework Alignment: Stakeholders emphasized the need to align the community engagement framework with the existing state climate policy.
4. Collaboration and Integration: The importance of stakeholder collaboration was underscored to generate integrated and inclusive community engagement strategies, addressing diverse community needs and mainstreaming social protection into climate resilience, mitigation, and adaptation interventions.
5. Sectoral Impacts: Discussions highlighted the profound impacts of climate change on critical sectors including health, education, water and sanitation, agriculture, and governance in Kaduna.
6. Urgent Need for a Framework: There was consensus on the urgent necessity for a comprehensive community engagement framework to address the multifaceted impacts of climate change and facilitate shock-responsive social protection.
7. Harmonization of Existing Frameworks: It was agreed that existing community engagement frameworks of relevant accountability mechanisms should be harmonized and adapted, rather than creating new ones, to strengthen climate change-related shock-responsive social protection.
Following these deliberations, the participants resolved to:
1. Expand Collaborations: The Social Protection TWG should reach out to more development partners to build robust, inclusive, and adaptable collaborations.
2. Seek Further Inputs: The TWG will engage all sectoral accountability mechanisms for additional feedback and inputs into the framework.
3. Government Support: Relevant MDAs are called upon to support the framework development process, demonstrating the government’s commitment to the OGP.
The communiqué was signed by key representatives from the participating organizations, including Habiba Suleiman of the OpenGov Youth Innovation Hub, Dangwa Martins Abbas of the Network of Civil Society in Environment (NCSE), Lydia Saleh of the Centre for Water and Environmental Development (CWED), and Sumayya Abdullahi Hussaini, Co-Chair of SAP III Strengthening Social Protection Systems, OGP Kaduna.
READ COMMUNIQUÉ BELOW
Communiqué Issued at the End of a Two-Day Technical Session on Developing a Community Engagement Framework for Climate Change-Related Shock-Responsive Social Protection
Rationale:
On June 27th and 28th, 2024, the OGP Technical Working Group (TWG) on Strengthening Social Protection Systems facilitated the collaboration with the OpenGov Youth Innovation Hub, Network of Civil Society in Environment (NCSE), Kaduna Local Government Accountability Mechanism (KADLGAM) and the Centre for Water and Environmental Development (CWED) to organize a two-day session to develop the draft community engagement framework for climate change-related shock-responsive social protection. The activity marks a significant step towards delivering one of the milestones in commitment four of the OGP State Action Plan (SAP III).
The session saw the participation of esteemed stakeholders, including the Special Assistant to the Governor on Climate Change, Co-Chair on Citizens Engagement from SAP III, representatives from the Joint National Association of Persons with Disabilities (JONAPWD) – Kaduna Chapter, Kaduna Maternal Accountability Mechanism (KADMAM), Coalition of Associations for Leadership, Peace, Empowerment and Development (CALPED), Centre for Water and Environmental Development (CWED), members of the TWG on Strengthening Social Protection Systems, Green Climate Africa, the OpenGov Youth Innovation Hub Team, traditional rulers, and various civil society organizations.
The session objectives were to: enhance understanding of climate change impacts on social protection systems and explore how community engagement can bolster these systems; foster collaboration among stakeholders to identify effective community engagement strategies; and develop a tailored community engagement framework to address climate change-related shocks within social protection systems.
Key Highlights/Observations:
1. The Kaduna State government was commended for its commitment towards the development of a climate change policy and the appointment of a Special Assistant to the Governor on Climate Change as well as prioritizing social protection interventions.
2. The session provided a platform for robust knowledge exchange and identification of best practices in climate-responsive social protection through community engagement.
3. Stakeholders emphasized the necessity of aligning the community engagement framework with existing state climate policy.
4. There was emphasis on the need for stakeholders’ collaboration to generate an integrated and inclusive community engagement strategies for mainstreaming social protection into climate resilience, mitigation and adaptation interventions, emphasizing the importance of addressing diverse community needs.
5. The interactive discussions underscored the profound impacts of climate change on critical sectors including health, education, water and sanitation, agriculture, and governance in Kaduna.
6. There was consensus on the urgent necessity for a comprehensive community engagement framework to address the multifaceted impacts of climate change and facilitate shock-responsive social protection.
7. There is no need to reinvent the wheel but harmonize and adapt existing community engagement frameworks of the relevant accountability mechanisms in the State to strengthen climate change-related shock-responsive social protection.
Resolutions:
Following deliberations, the following resolutions were agreed upon:
1. The Social Protection TWG should reach out to more development partners to build collaborations that ensure the framework is robust, inclusive and adaptable.
2. The TWG will engage all the sectoral accountability mechanisms for further feedback and inputs into the framework.
3. Call upon the relevant MDAs to buy-into and support the framework development process to demonstrate the government’s commitment to the OGP.
Signed:
Habiba Suleiman,
#OpenGov Youth Innovation Hub
Dangwa Martins Abbas,
Network of Civil Society in Environment (NCSE)
Lydia Saleh,
Centre For Water and Environmental Development (CWED)
Sumayya Abdullahi Hussaini,
Co-Chair, SAP III Strengthening Social Protection Systems, OGP Kaduna.
