Delta allocates N20bn for social protection in 2026 budget

From Femi Oyelola Oyelola, Kaduna

Delta State has taken a bold step in fighting poverty by creating a dedicated N20 billion budget line for social protection in its 2026 Appropriation Law.

This move is seen as a significant step toward unified and transparent welfare spending.

According to Africa Network for Environment and Economic Justice (ANEEJ) Program Manager, Innocent Edemhanria, who made the budget available to the media in Kaduna today, the budget, which the Governor’s office directly manages, was not included in the 2025 budget.

Its introduction highlights the state’s commitment to making interventions for vulnerable groups more visible, organized, and accountable.

Edemhanria noted that this development comes at a time when poverty remains a major issue nationwide.

Citing the World Bank Nigeria Development Update, he noted that Nigeria’s poverty rate reached 63% in 2025 and is projected to be 62% (about 141 million people) in 2026, driven by high food inflation, weak job creation, and the impacts of macroeconomic reforms.

He explained that although the federal government disputes these figures, the reality on the ground shows many families still struggle to find their next meal, making state-level actions essential.

It was gathered that the Delta state’s new social protection system is governed by law.

The Delta State Social Investment Programme Law was enacted alongside the 2026 budget in December 2025.

Additionally, the Social Protection Bill was passed earlier to ensure interventions are coordinated and effective.

For years, Edemhanria noted that funds meant for vulnerable groups in the state were spread across various ministries, departments, and agencies, making them hard to track.

The 2026 budget changes that by consolidating welfare spending.

The N20 billion allocated within the N1.7 trillion budget, signed by Governor Sheriff Oborevwori, aims to fund four main areas: cash transfers to vulnerable households; in-kind support for artisans and small traders; support for small and medium enterprises to boost livelihoods; and targeted programs for underserved populations, often outside traditional welfare schemes.

Beyond this N20 billion, the state has pledged additional support. Also, an extra N110 billion has been allocated under recurrent expenses for social benefits, pensions, and safety nets.

Another N100 billion is set aside for Local Government Area (LGA) interventions, roughly N4 billion per LGA in Delta.

“The Act Naija project consortium views this decentralized approach as significant, since it pushes resources and decision-making closer to the grassroots communities that need them most, rather than concentrating everything at the state capital,” Edemhanria said.

He added that Delta is connecting its social protection efforts to broader human capital development. Health funding increased from N30 billion in 2025 to N50.067 billion in 2026. Education received N105.086 billion, and agriculture got N10 billion for food security and agro-investment—sectors directly linked to the livelihoods of artisans, traders, and SMEs targeted by the N20 billion allocation.

Through the Act Naija project, ANEEJ, partnering with Bread for the World and NISD and co-funded by the EU, has been working in Delta and six other states to make Nigeria’s social protection system more inclusive.

The project emphasizes raising public awareness, building local organizations’ capacity to monitor service delivery, and encouraging dialogue between civil society and government.

Edemhanria said Delta’s 2026 budget provides both a model and a standard for other states. “Consolidating a previously scattered social protection budget into a single, trackable N20 billion vote is the kind of structural reform that makes citizens oversight easy,” he said.

However, he warned that the true challenge lies in implementation.

“The question now is whether cash transfers will reach vulnerable households, whether artisans and small traders will get the in-kind support promised, and whether the N100 billion for LGA interventions will be felt across all 25 local government areas,” Edemhanria said.

He assured that the Act Naija project will continue to monitor how these allocations move from budget lines to actual disbursements, so Delta residents stay informed about progress.