SOCIAL PROTECTION EXPENDITURE AND POVERTY REDUCTION: A CALL FOR THE ADAPTION OF SOCIAL INVESTMENT PROGRAMMES AT LOCAL GOVERNMENTS LEVEL IN NIGERIA

Poverty remainsa critical challenge in Nigeria, with over 40% ofthepopulation living below the poverty line. Social protection expenditures, including cash transfers, skills acquisition programs, and microcredit schemes, have proven to be effective toolsfor reducing poverty and fostering economic resilience. While federal initiatives like the National Social Investment Programme (NSIP) have made strides, local governments, being the closest administrative units to the populace, possess the contextual understanding required to design and implement programs tailored to specific community needs. This paper aim to explore the relationship between social protection expenditure and poverty reduction, emphasizing the critical role of local governments in adapting federal social investment initiatives. The paper relies on secondary data obtainfrom various publications. Based on the data gathered, the workfind out that programmes such as N-Power, Conditional Cash Transfers (CCT), and the Government Enterprise and Empowerment Programme (GEEP) can be decentralized to align with local labour demands, provide targeted financial support, and empower youth through entrepreneurship and skill acquisition. The paper also find out that challenges like inadequate funding, weak institutional capacity and corruption can hinder the implementation of localize Social Investment Programmes have the potential to drive significant progress in poverty alleviation and community development, contributing to Nigeria's broader sustainable development goals. It therefore recommends increase funding for local governments, improve capacity building andpromote transparency and accountability.