Modern protection for millions: Nigeria advances ambitious social development reform
Patience Otozi, Chief Social Welfare Officer, Ministry of Women Affairs and Social Development, shares feedback and lessons from Nigeria’s Ebonyi State at the National Summit on Repositioning the Social Development Framework held in Abuja, Nigeria, 26 November 2025. Credit: International IDEA
Nigeria is taking a landmark step towards modernizing how it protects and empowers its people. With support from International IDEA’s CSO Strengthening Bridge Project, the country has drafted a new Social Development Act Amendment Bill—as the old law no longer reflects Nigeria’s rapidly growing population, its complex social challenges or the vital role of civil society.
The draft Bill introduces a modern legal framework designed to strengthen social protection systems, clarify the role of government institutions and create a more enabling environment for civil society organizations.
It responds to persistent gaps in regulation, coordination and legal clarity that have long hindered effective social development in Africa’s most populous nation. Ahead of the 2025 National Summit, International IDEA supported the full review and drafting process, ensuring the Bill addressed these systemic challenges. At the Summit, government bodies, regulators and civil society reviewed and refined the text, grounding it both technically and politically. The result is a forward‑looking framework with the potential to shape how millions of Nigerians access services, participate in public life and hold institutions to account.
‘The Social Development Act is older than many of us. Outdated provisions and emerging social challenges demand urgent reform. The unity of civil society organizations is essential; one stick is easily broken, but a bundle of broomsticks is not. We must speak with one voice to deliver an Act worthy of a nation committed to inclusive development.’
| Funding | European Union |
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