Reps Demand FG Unfreeze NSIPA Accounts Within 72 Hours To Resume Social Programmes

The House of Representatives has urged the Federal Government to unfreeze the accounts of the National Social Investment Programme Agency (NSIPA) within 72 hours to ensure the smooth resumption of its vital social welfare programs.

The motion, sponsored by Deputy Speaker Benjamin Kalu and 21 lawmakers, emphasized that unfreezing the accounts would enable the release of funds needed to pay N81.3 billion in outstanding stipends to 395,731 N-Power beneficiaries before the 2023 and 2024 Appropriation Acts expire on December 31, 2024.

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Kalu noted that the NSIPA was established under the National Social Investment Programme Agency (Establishment) Act, 2023 to empower vulnerable groups, including unemployed individuals, widows, orphans, and persons with disabilities. 

The agency oversees critical interventions such as N-Power, Conditional Cash Transfers (CCT), and the National Home-Grown School Feeding Programme.

Despite its importance, NSIPA operations have been hampered by frozen accounts, administrative bottlenecks, and funding challenges following investigations into alleged financial mismanagement.

The lawmakers also called on President Bola Tinubu to direct relevant ministries to address the administrative hurdles stalling the agency’s programs. They highlighted that the account freeze contradicts the administration’s Renewed Hope Agenda, which prioritizes poverty alleviation and economic empowerment.

The resolution is expected to be forwarded to the Senate for concurrence, as lawmakers stressed the urgency of restoring NSIPA’s functionality to uphold the administration’s poverty reduction goals.