ANEEJ Praises Falana’s Call for EFCC to Transfer Recovered Loot to NSIPA
By:Femi Mustapha
The African Network for Environmental and Economic Justice (ANEEJ) has commended renowned human rights lawyer Femi Falana for urging the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) to transfer the recovered ₦32.7 billion and $445,000 to the National Social Investment Programme Agency (NSIPA).
According to ANEEJ, this request comes at a crucial time when Nigeria’s social protection system requires greater transparency, credibility, and resources.
This statement was released to the media in Kaduna today.
It noted that the EFCC recently recovered ₦32.7 billion and $445,000 that had allegedly been misappropriated by officials of the Ministry of Humanitarian Affairs, Disaster Management, and Social Development.
Falana believes that redirecting these funds to NSIPA would help alleviate the hardships faced by over 133 million Nigerians who are multi-dimensionally poor.
The recovered funds were originally designated for social investment programs, including, conditional Cash Transfers, which provide financial assistance to vulnerable populations.
School Feeding Program, which supports nutrition and education for schoolchildren, and Skills development and employment opportunities for young Nigerians
ANEEJ emphasizes that simply redirecting the funds is not enough; strong mechanisms for monitoring, accountability, and transparency must also be established.
The EFCC and other anti-corruption bodies should enhance oversight regarding how these funds are disbursed and utilized within NSIPA and related programs. Civil society organizations (CSOs) can play a vital role in tracking the use of recovered funds through frameworks like the Monitoring of Recovered Assets Through Transparency and Accountability (MANTRA) model.
According to ANEEJ, the MANTRA model has proven effective in ensuring recovered assets reach their intended beneficiaries. Adapting this model to monitor new disbursements through NSIPA can help:
Track spending in real-time, ensure efficient use of funds, and provide independent verification of beneficiaries.
Other benefits include confirming that funds reach the intended recipients, offering feedback loops between communities and the government, enhancing accountability and transparency, and deterring future corruption through increased public scrutiny—all of which promote good governance.
By transferring the recovered funds to NSIPA and ensuring close monitoring in collaboration with civil society, the Tinubu administration can make a lasting impact on the fight against poverty in Nigeria.
