Against the backdrop of a deteriorating security climate and shrinking external donor funding, the Association for Orphans and Vulnerable Children in Nigeria (AONN) has issued a frantic call to government agencies and development partners to urgently fortify the nation’s social protection systems.
The appeal was the centrepiece of the Association’s Annual General Scientific Meeting (AGSM) held in Abuja.
The event, themed ‘Strengthening Social Protection Systems for Vulnerable Populations: Bridging Gaps in Healthcare, Education, Nutrition, and Livelihoods,’ served as a strategy room for delegates convening from all 36 states and the Federal Capital Territory.
The gathering aimed to dissect the current state of welfare for at-risk demographics and formulate sustainable survival strategies.
Setting a sombre tone for the deliberation, the Board Secretary, Dr Grace Dafiel, pointed out the direct correlation between the worsening security landscape and the welfare of the Nigerian child.
She painted a grim picture of the nation's protective structures, citing recent waves of mass abductions as evidence of systemic failure.
“Safety nets are collapsing under the weight of insurgency and crisis,” Dr Dafiel warned, referencing over 200 abductions and killings recorded across various states within a mere 48-hour window,” Dr Dafiel stated.
She argued that the failure to protect these demographics creates a cycle of violence.
“We must re-strategise and empower communities so that these children are not left to become instruments of future instability,” Dr Dafiel added.
Addressing the critical issue of sustainability, AONN’s National Coordinator, Marcus Williams, announced a major operational shift.
With international funding streams drying up, Williams revealed that the Association is pivoting toward social-enterprise financing to keep its mandate alive.
He outlined that AONN is now looking inward, generating revenue through social enterprises, including public sanitation services, car wash centres, community road-cleaning programmes, and healthcare payment platforms.
“The proceeds from these ventures are strictly reinvested into emergency response efforts and support for families currently listed on the national social protection register.
“Our objective is to ensure that vulnerable Nigerians, regardless of age, receive the support needed to overcome entrenched forms of deprivation,” Williams stated.
He emphasised that these initiatives align with the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) and are crucial for building community resilience.
He further noted that social protection must act as a complement to physical security, particularly in stopping attacks on schools through better infrastructure and intelligence sharing.
Speaking on behalf of the Board of Trustees, Dr David Akpan reaffirmed the organisation's commitment to the most marginalised, specifically children with disabilities, those exposed to violence, and street children.
He insisted that despite the funding constraints, AONN’s family-centred approach remains the most effective method for strengthening resilience.
Amb. Aji Rachael, the Assistant National Secretary, rounded off the deliberations by calling for the domestication and implementation of the National Social Protection Policy, which she noted remains uneven across states.
While commending the improved synergy with the Federal Ministry of Women Affairs, she affirmed that AONN is moving from solely direct service delivery to high-level policy advocacy to ensure long-term systemic change.
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