The house of representatives has resolved to investigate the status of funds recovered by the federal government from the national social investment programme agency (NSIPA).
The green chamber intends to determine custodianship and identify issues delaying the release of funds to the appropriate agencies to facilitate the prompt recommencement of the social investment programmes (SIP).
The lower legislative chamber passed the resolution during Tuesday’s plenary following the adoption of a motion of urgent public importance sponsored by Saidu Abdullahi, an All Progressives Congress (APC) member from Niger state.
The programmes under the SIP include N-Power, conditional cash transfer (CCT), government enterprise and empowerment programme, and the home-grown school feeding initiative.
Advertisement
The NSIPA account was frozen in 2024 following allegations of financial malfeasance in the agency that led to the suspension of Betta Edu, then minister of humanitarian affairs and poverty alleviation, and Halima Shehu, then chief executive officer of the agency.
The house has repeatedly asked the federal government to unfreeze the NSIPA account and resume the social investment programmes.
THE MOTION
Advertisement
Speaking during plenary, Abdullahi said the federal government investigation recovered funds estimated at over N30 billion.
He said the funds have not been remitted into NSIPA’s designated treasury single account (TSA), stalling programme implementation and “leaving millions of intended beneficiaries without the social and economic support envisioned by the federal government”.
“The prolonged non-release of these funds undermines the renewed hope agenda by slowing down poverty alleviation efforts, weakening small-scale enterprises, exacerbating hardship in rural and urban communities, delaying local economic stimulation, and eroding public trust in the government’s social protection commitments,” he said.
“Continued uncertainty over the exact location, custodial status, and administrative handling of the recovered funds poses fiscal risks, disrupts programme timelines, and may create institutional bottlenecks across related national social intervention initiatives.
Advertisement
“Despite the presidential approval lifting the suspension on NSIPA operations on 21st January 2025, the agency has been unable to resume full implementation of its programmes, allegedly due to the non-availability of recovered funds expected to have been released, thereby exposing millions of Nigerians to prolonged socioeconomic distress.”
The motion was unanimously adopted when Benjamin Kalu, the presiding officer, called for a voice vote.
Consequently, the house resolved to set up an ad hoc committee to engage with relevant agencies to “obtain all necessary information and clarifications relating to the recovered funds”.
Advertisement
