In Western Africa, there is growing commitment from governments to develop their social protection systems as a key strategy to tackle the challenges of poverty and vulnerability, in a risk-prone context. While many countries in the region still struggle to guarantee adequate and institutionalised levels of protection, key investments are being put in place to develop the building blocks of strong social protection systems. For instance, countries are developing the underlying ‘delivery systems’ to foster this expansion. In particular, in recent years, the development of social registries and broader digital information systems serving the sector has played a prominent role in many countries in the region, receiving notable attention and investment. A recent series of research commissioned by WFP and UNICEF, under the “Responding to COVID-19 through Social Protection Systems in the Sahel  - Towards Addressing the Socio-Economic Impacts of Multiple Shocks” project funded by KfW/BMZ, and led by Oxford Policy Management sought to offer a snapshot of progress to date and reflections on future directions.  

These analyses are summarized in this regional synthesis report, which covers 19 countries from the region (Benin, Burkina Faso, Cameroon, Central African Republic, Chad, Côte d’Ivoire, Ghana, Guinea, Guinea Bissau, Liberia, Mali, Mauritania, Niger, Nigeria, Sao Tome and Principe, Senegal, Sierra Leone, The Gambia, and Togo), and aims to document recent trends – and strategic implications – with regards to the development of social registries and supporting digital information systems.