NASSCO, NDDC partner to enhance healthcare, social services for vulnerable households in Niger Delta

The National Social Safety Nets Coordinating Office (NASSCO) has entered into a strategic partnership with the Niger Delta Development Commission (NDDC) to strengthen healthcare coverage and financial risk protection for vulnerable households in the Niger Delta region.

In a statement on Friday, NASSCO said the collaboration, formalised through a memorandum of understanding (MoU), will leverage the national social register to provide access to essential health and social services for one million people across the nine NDDC states: Abia, Akwa Ibom, Bayelsa, Cross River, Delta, Edo, Imo, Ondo, and Rivers.

Funmi Olotu, NASSCO’s national coordinator, emphasised the importance of the initiative, saying it will help boost the renewed hope agenda of the federal government.

“This collaboration aligns with NASSCO’s mandate to ensure that vulnerable households receive much-needed support and services. It also ties into President Tinubu’s Renewed Hope Agenda of eradicating poverty and providing for the most disadvantaged across the country,” Olotu said.

Olotu said through the partnership, NASSCO will work alongside the National Identity Management Commission (NIMC) and the World Health Organization (WHO) to identify poor households in rural communities, register them into the national social register, and connect them with critical healthcare, education, and other services.

She added that the initiative supports key national programmes, including the president’s Renewed Hope Agenda and the National Health Sector Renewal Investment Program (NHSRIP), which seeks to expand healthcare access across Nigeria.

Ben Nkechika, an NDDC consultant, echoed the initiative’s potential impact, stating, “This initiative will make a significant impact by ensuring that healthcare and other essential services reach the most vulnerable populations in the Niger Delta, directly improving their quality of life.”

The partnership reflects NASSCO’s ongoing commitment to working with key stakeholders to deliver social interventions that uplift vulnerable households and contribute to Nigeria’s broader development goals.