Abuja, Nigeria – The House of Representatives has urged the Federal Government to unfreeze the accounts of the National Social Investment Programmes Agency (NSIPA) within 72 hours, emphasizing the agency’s critical role in addressing poverty and hunger.
This resolution followed a motion sponsored by Deputy Speaker Benjamin Kalu and 20 other lawmakers during Tuesday’s plenary. The motion highlighted the need to restore NSIPA’s operations to alleviate the economic challenges facing vulnerable Nigerians.
The accounts of NSIPA were frozen earlier this year amid allegations of corruption and mismanagement under the previous administration. The decision aimed to facilitate a comprehensive review of the agency’s operations. However, lawmakers argued that this move has significantly hindered the agency’s ability to carry out its mandate.
NSIPA’s Vital Role in Poverty Alleviation
Speaking on the motion, Kalu stressed that the agency manages key social intervention initiatives, including the N-Power program, Conditional Cash Transfers, the Government Enterprise and Empowerment Programme (GEEP), and the National Home-Grown School Feeding Programme. These programs are integral to President Bola Tinubu’s Renewed Hope Agenda for reducing poverty and empowering vulnerable populations.
Kalu lamented the administrative bottlenecks and frozen accounts, noting that these challenges have stymied the agency’s functionality and disrupted programs critical to economic inclusivity. He stated, “Despite NSIPA’s vital role in poverty alleviation and youth empowerment, its operations have been hindered for over three months since the new management was constituted.”
Impact on Beneficiaries
The lawmaker revealed that the freezing of the agency’s accounts has left 395,731 N-Power beneficiaries without stipends totaling N81.32 billion, funds already allocated in the 2023 and 2024 Appropriation Acts. These delays risk eroding public confidence in government welfare programs and undermining efforts to achieve Sustainable Development Goals.
House Resolutions
Following the debate, the House resolved to:
- Direct the Minister of Finance and Coordinating Minister of the Economy, Wale Edun, to unfreeze NSIPA accounts within 72 hours.
- Ensure the immediate release of funds to clear outstanding stipends for N-Power beneficiaries.
- Mandate the Minister of Humanitarian Affairs and Poverty Reduction, Dr. Yusuf Sununu, to remove all administrative obstacles affecting NSIPA’s operations.
- Lawmakers argued that restoring NSIPA’s functionality aligns with the government’s commitment to poverty alleviation and economic empowerment. They emphasized that further delays would exacerbate hardships faced by vulnerable Nigerians and undermine the agency’s ability to deliver on its mandate.
Join our Channel...