ILO Expands Health and Social Protection for Nigerian Communities

The ILO said improving access to healthcare and social protection helps families better manage financial shocks, protect their livelihoods, and reduce the risk of children entering labour instead of attending school.

More than 3,600 women, men, and children living in vulnerable cocoa-growing and artisanal mining communities across Nigeria's Ondo, Niger, and Osun states have gained better access to healthcare and social protection through a joint initiative led by the International Labour Organization (ILO).

The programme was delivered under the ILO's ACCEL Africa II Project, funded by the Government of the Netherlands, and focused on helping families that previously had little or no access to essential public services. Beneficiaries have been enrolled in state health insurance schemes and connected to wider social protection programmes, reducing the financial burden of seeking medical treatment and strengthening household resilience.

Integrated campaign brings multiple services to communities

Alongside health insurance enrolment, hundreds of vulnerable households were registered or updated in the State Social Register, improving their eligibility for government social assistance programmes. Community members also received support to obtain or update their National Identification Numbers (NIN), making it easier to access public services and future social interventions.

The outreach campaign reached 16 cocoa-growing and artisanal mining communities across the three states, including Fagbo, Aponmu, Ipoba, Tutungo, Kuchiko, Iwa, Yekemi, Ayeoba, Olode, Ibala, and Idoka. More than 3,600 people participated in awareness sessions explaining their rights to healthcare, social protection, and services available to support vulnerable families.

The initiative was implemented in partnership with state health insurance agencies, the National Social Safety Nets Coordinating Office (NASSCO), the State Operations Coordinating Units (SOCU), and the National Identity Management Commission (NIMC).

Stronger social protection supports children and families

The ILO said improving access to healthcare and social protection helps families better manage financial shocks, protect their livelihoods, and reduce the risk of children entering labour instead of attending school. By combining health insurance, identity registration, and social protection services in a single community-based campaign, the programme addressed several barriers that often prevent vulnerable households from receiving government support.

Community leaders welcomed the initiative, saying it had increased awareness of the importance of protecting children while improving access to essential services. The intervention forms part of the ACCEL Africa II Project, which works across Africa to eliminate child labour in cocoa and artisanal gold mining supply chains by expanding decent work opportunities and strengthening social protection systems for vulnerable communities.