Evaluating Social Work Contributions to the National Social Investment Programme in North East Nigeria

Nigeria's National Social Investment Programme represents one of the most significant social protection initiatives in the country's recent history, yet the contribution of professional social work to its design, targeting, and implementation remains empirically underexplored. This study evaluates the involvement and contributions of social workers in implementing National Social Investment Programme components in Borno and Adamawa States, North East Nigeria. A mixed-method cross-sectional design employs a survey of 160 social workers and programme implementers alongside 20 qualitative key informant interviews with state programme coordinators and beneficiary representatives. Logistic regression and thematic analysis are applied. The study finds that social workers contribute most consistently to beneficiary identification, grievance resolution, and community sensitisation within programme implementation. However, social work engagement is typically informal and unrecognised in programme documentation, resulting in underutilisation of professional competencies in needs assessment and case management. Beneficiaries in communities with social work involvement report higher satisfaction with programme fairness and accessibility. Drawing on social policy and community social work frameworks, the study argues for formalised social work roles within national social protection architecture. Recommendations include revising National Social Investment Programme implementation guidelines to formally recognise social work roles, training social workers in social protection programme management, and embedding social work capacity in state social protection coordination units. Keywords: social investment programme, social work, social protection, North East Nigeria, programme evaluation