The House of Representatives on Tuesday moved to investigate the status of the over N30bn recovered from the National Social Investment Programme Agency (NSIPA) between 2024 and 2025. The goal is to uncover delays affecting the restart of major social intervention schemes, including N-Power, which millions of Nigerians depend on.
This decision came after lawmakers adopted a motion of urgent public importance sponsored by Saidu Abdullahi, who represents Bida/Gbako/Katcha Federal Constituency in Niger State. NSIPA is the agency responsible for key Federal Government social programmes such as N-Power, Government Enterprise and Empowerment Programme (GEEP), Home-Grown School Feeding Programme, and the Grant for Vulnerable Groups/Conditional Cash Transfer. These schemes aim to reduce poverty, increase school enrolment, support financial inclusion, and help small businesses stay afloat.
President Bola Tinubu had suspended NSIPA operations on January 8, 2024, for six weeks to allow security and anti-corruption agencies investigate alleged financial mismanagement within the scheme. Moving his motion, Abdullahi explained that “The investigation resulted in the tracing, freezing, and recovery of substantial public funds belonging to the Agency from Deposit Money Banks and Payment Service Providers, including funds appropriated for TraderMoni, MarketMoni, FarmerMoni, and Grants for Vulnerable Groups.”
However, he warned that the real issue now is the delay in returning these funds to the right account. He said, “credible sources have indicated that these recovered funds, estimated at over ₦30bn, have not been remitted into NSIPA’s designated Treasury Single Account, thereby stalling programme implementation and leaving millions of intended beneficiaries without the social and economic support envisioned by the Federal Government.”
Abdullahi stressed that withholding the funds is slowing down efforts by the present administration to ease hardship, saying, “We are deeply concerned that 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 also raised concerns over accountability for the recovered money, noting, “We are also concerned that the 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.”
Abdullahi added that NSIPA has still not returned to full activity despite the lifting of its suspension early this year. He stated, “We are disturbed that despite the presidential approval lifting the suspension on NSIPA operations… 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 Deputy Speaker, Benjamin Kalu, presided over the sitting, put the motion to a voice vote, and it was unanimously approved.
Following the approval, the House agreed to set up an ad hoc committee to investigate all recoveries made during the 2024 to 2025 probe. The committee will “determine their current status and custodianship, and identify any issues delaying their release to the appropriate agencies.” It will also meet with relevant bodies and demand a clear plan from NSIPA on how the funds will be used once they are released. The House expects the committee to report back within four weeks.
In July 2025, the Senate also confirmed that the Federal Government was preparing to clear the N81bn backlog owed to N-Power beneficiaries for 2022 and 2023. The confirmation followed a closed-door meeting led by the Deputy President of the Senate, Barau Jibrin.
A recent development involved the N-Power court case filed by former beneficiaries over unpaid stipends. The matter was scheduled for hearing on November 4, 2025, at the National Industrial Court in Abuja. Claims spread that judges travelled to Kenya, leading to a postponement until December 1st, but this has not been officially verified. According to the court notice, the case filed by Anaidu Shehu and others against the Ministry of Humanitarian Affairs and others remains listed for mention.
Meanwhile, the National Association of N-Power Beneficiaries has continued to appeal for the payment of delayed stipends. The group described the situation as a growing burden on young Nigerians who rely on the support promised under the programme.
