The word “development” is one of the universal requirements of human beings. Development comprises economic and social development. These are two sides of the same coin, and both indicators must move together. The world may not reap the fruits of development if economic and social development do not progress simultaneously. The socialization of an economy is also a necessity as well as a sine qua non. The inputs required for economic development are generated by the social sector.

In developing countries, social development has lagged far behind economic development. Consequently, there has been an increasing trend in poverty, hunger, and inequality, especially after the emergence of COVID-19. In order to address the issues and challenges related to rising poverty, hunger, and the lack of social financial grants, improving access to such grants and increasing their availability are the need of the hour.

A grant is an amount of financial assistance that a government or another institution provides to an individual or an organization for a particular purpose, such as poverty alleviation and hunger reduction. For both developing and least-developed countries, social financial grants are a sine qua non for the eradication of poverty and hunger, particularly in African countries. This is one of the most neglected areas in terms of research and policy discussion.

Social protection;

Poverty;

Hunger eradication;

COVID-19;

Governments role;

Role of agencies;

Interegional comparison