President Bola Tinubu has lifted the ban on the accounts of the National Social Investment Programme Agency (NSIPA).
In a statement by the former Special Adviser to the President(Media & Publicity), Chief Ajuri Ngelale, President Tinubu on January 8, 2024 suspended the Minister of Humanitarian Affairs and Poverty Alleviation, Dr. Betta Edu, from office with immediate effect.
The President directed the Chairman of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) to conduct a thorough investigation into all aspects of the financial transactions involving the Federal Ministry of Humanitarian Affairs and Poverty Alleviation, as well as one or more agencies thereunder.
The President also mandated a panel headed by the Coordinating Minister of the Economy and Minister of Finance Wale Edun to, among other functions, conduct a comprehensive diagnostic on the financial architecture and framework of the social investment programmes with a view to conclusively reforming the relevant institutions and programmes in a determined bid to eliminate all institutional frailties for the exclusive benefit of disadvantaged households and win back lost public confidence in the initiative.
The Minister of State for Humanitarian Affairs and Poverty Reduction, Dr. Yusuf Sununu at a press conference on the ‘impacts of foreign aids cut on Nigeria’s humanitarian sector’, expressed excitement over the €1.5 million donated by European Union (EU) to assist the internally displaced persons in Benue and ongoing care of the children admitted for the management of severe acute malnutrition.
Sununu disclosed that the Ministry has substantial budget worth over N500 billion captured under the Service Wide Vote for National and Social Investment Programme, which is expected to be deployed for the implementation of National Homegrown School Feeding Programme, Conditional Cash Transfer, N-Power training, FarmerMoni.
He said: ‘When we came, you know that we met the account on suspension. And then the fund of the Ministry was then retrieved from account. You know the account of the Agency was suspended. But I’m glad to say that Mr. President has directed that that account should be open. And the account has been opened.
‘And even now that we say that we are going to start with Government Enterprises and Empowerment Programme, it’s part of that money that is returned to the account of the Ministry. And Mr. President has always given a go-ahead, considering the existence and the emergency in the country, that money should quickly be returned to the account of the NSIPA. Added to the release that we are expecting for 2025, I think we are good to go’.
The Minister also said plans are underway to rollout Grant for Vulnerable Groups (GVG).
He disclosed that the Ministry has ’employed about 53 companies that will help in updating the NIN registration so that each of those in our National Register that doesn’t have the account number, NIN and BVN, will quickly get there and do something.
