Niger Delta

Niger Delta: NASSCO, NDDC partner to strengthen healthcare coverage for vulnerable citizens

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 people in the Niger Delta region.

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.

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

Through the partnership, NASSCO will work alongside the National Identity Management Commission (NIMC) and the World Health Organisation (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.

The initiative, according to Olotu, supports key national programmes, including the President’s Renewed Hope Agenda and the National Health Sector Renewal Investment Programme (NHSRIP), which seeks to expand healthcare access across the country.

An NDDC consultant, Mr Ben Nkechika, said: “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.

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