President Bola Tinubu has asked the national assembly to amend the National Social Investment Programmes Agency (NSIP) Act 2023.
Tinubu’s request was contained in a letter read by Tajudeen Abbas, speaker of the house of representatives, during Tuesday’s plenary.
“The purpose of the bill is to make the National Social Register the primary targeting tool for the implementation of social investment programmes of government,” the letter reads.
The president said the amendment will ensure the social welfare programmes “are data-driven and implementation processes are transparent, targeted, dynamic and effective in delivering social protection benefits to vulnerable Nigerians”.
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Tinubu asked the parliament to consider his request in the “usual expeditious manner”.
The programmes under SIP include N-Power, conditional cash transfer (CCT), government enterprise and empowerment programme, and the home-grown school feeding initiative.
THE CONTROVERSY
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In 2023, former President Muhammadu Buhari enacted a law to establish the NSIP — an agency that has been mired in corruption since the turn of the year.
On January 2, Tinubu suspended Halima Shehu as the chief executive officer (CEO) of NSIPA over alleged financial malfeasance.
On January 8, the president also suspended Betta Edu as minister of humanitarian affairs and poverty alleviation.
The humanitarian affairs and poverty alleviation ministry supervises the operations of the NSIPA.
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On January 12, the president suspended all programmes administered by NSIPA as part of a probe of alleged mismanagement of the agency and its programmes.
On March 13, the house of representatives asked the federal government to resume the implementation of the suspended social investment initiatives.
The senate is considering a bill seeking to place the NSIPA under the supervision of the presidency.
Tinubu has since appointed Badamasi Lawal to replace Shehu.
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