Human rights lawyer and Senior Advocate of Nigeria (SAN), Femi Falana, has challenged the Federal Government to prove its commitment to poverty alleviation by directing recovered looted funds into grants and social investment programmes for poor Nigerians.
Falana, who chairs the Alliance on Surviving COVID-19 and Beyond (ASCAB), issued the challenge in a statement on August 24, 2025, while faulting the Federal Government’s recent allocation of ₦32.7 billion to the National Social Investment Programme (NSIP).
According to him, the amount is grossly inadequate in the face of worsening economic hardship across the country.
“The ₦32.7 billion allocated is paltry when measured against the reality of poverty in the country,” Falana said.
He argued that the funds recently recovered by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) — including ₦32.7 billion and $445,000 looted by senior officials of the Ministry of Humanitarian Affairs — should be channeled directly into grants for vulnerable Nigerians through the NSIP Agency.
“This will go a long way in alleviating the harsh economic conditions of the over 133 million multidimensionally poor people in Nigeria,” he added.
NSIP as a Tool for Poverty Relief
The National Social Investment Programme currently runs initiatives such as:
- the Home-Grown School Feeding Programme,
- N-Power youth empowerment scheme,
- the Government Enterprise and Empowerment Programme (GEEP) for small businesses, and
- Conditional Cash Transfers to poor households.
Falana maintained that properly funding these initiatives with recovered loot would deliver immediate relief and create long-term economic opportunities.
“All Tiers of Government Must Contribute”
Citing rising revenues, Falana pointed out that the Federation Account Allocation Committee (FAAC) shared ₦2.001 trillion in July 2025 and ₦1.8 trillion in June 2025, insisting that all levels of government — federal, state, and local — must prioritize social welfare.
“All tiers of government should go beyond tokenism on this very important question of social investment. They should put their money where their mouth is in implementing the policy,” he stressed.
A Call for Accountability
While commending the EFCC for recovering looted funds, Falana emphasized that Nigerians must see direct benefits from such recoveries. He urged the Federal Government to ensure transparency, accountability, and inclusivity, warning that failure to invest in the poor would only deepen poverty and social unrest.
📌 Summary:
is demanding that the Federal Government channel the recently recovered ₦32.7bn loot into grants and social welfare programmes to provide real relief for poor Nigerians, instead of what he describes as “token allocations” that fail to address the scale of poverty.
