Designing a Poverty Targeting System for Social Protection Programmes in Kano State

Effective targeting of social protection beneficiaries requires robust sociodemographic data systems that identify the poorest households reliably and transparently. This study designed a poverty targeting system for Kano State's social protection programmes, drawing on assessment of current targeting practices in three LGAs (Kano Municipal, Ungogo, and Fagge) and benchmarking against the National Social Register architecture and comparable Sub-Saharan African targeting systems. A professional design methodology was applied, incorporating structured consultations with 15 Kano State Social Protection Unit staff, 10 community leaders, and 8 social protection data specialists, alongside analysis of National Social Register enrolment data for Kano State. Assessment confirmed that the state's social registry covered only 34.7 percent of estimated poor households, with urban-rural targeting accuracy differentials. The targeting system designed specifies a Community-Based Targeting plus Proxy Means Test hybrid model, data collection instruments calibrated to Kano State's poverty profile, digital household registry architecture, and an annual update and audit cycle. Kano-specific welfare indicators including livestock ownership and Hajj savings (as proxies for wealth) are specified. Grievance and redress mechanisms are embedded throughout. Expert review by nine social protection and demography specialists confirmed the system's technical and contextual adequacy. The study recommends piloting the system in three LGAs before state-wide deployment, with DFID-funded social protection technical assistance as the implementation partner.

Keywords: poverty targeting, social protection, Kano State, proxy means test, National Social Register