“Falana Urges Transparency As EFCC Holds Back Recovered Billions Meant For NSIPA”

Human rights lawyer and Senior Advocate of Nigeria, Femi Falana, has called on the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) to promptly transfer N32.7 billion and $445,000—funds recovered from officials of the Ministry of Humanitarian Affairs, Disaster Management and Social Development—to the National Social Investment Programme Agency (NSIPA), according to iReporter Online.

Falana, who made the appeal in a statement released on Sunday, August 24, 2025, on behalf of the Alliance on Surviving Covid-19 and Beyond (ASCAB), emphasized that the recovered funds must be used for their original purpose.

He recalled that President Bola Tinubu, in January 2025, had approved the N32.7 billion allocation for key National Social Investment Programme (NSIP) initiatives such as school feeding, N-Power, conditional cash transfers, and small business support through the Government Enterprise and Empowerment Programme (GEEP).

According to iReporter Online, Falana noted that the EFCC had already recovered the entire sum, including $445,000 in foreign currency, from allegedly corrupt officials within the ministry.

However, he expressed concern that these funds have yet to be transferred to NSIPA, despite public assurances that recovered monies would be returned to their designated purposes.

“We commend the EFCC for its progress so far and urge it to step up efforts to recover the outstanding N20 billion still unaccounted for,” Falana said.

“However, the N32.7 billion and $445,000 already recovered must now be channeled directly to NSIPA to aid over 133 million Nigerians facing multi-dimensional poverty.”

He also urged federal and state governments to increase financial support for the NSIP, stressing that recent fiscal gains make this feasible.

Citing disbursement figures, Falana highlighted that the Federation Account Allocation Committee (FAAC) distributed N2.001 trillion in July and N1.8 trillion in June 2025.

“Governments must stop paying lip service to social protection.

It’s time they put their money where their mouth is,” he concluded.

The lawyer’s comments come amid growing demands for accountability in Nigeria’s social welfare programmes, especially following a series of corruption cases tied to funds earmarked for the poor, according to iReporter Online.

”IREPORTER REPORTS”