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2023 : ‘For presiding over the ongoing illegality in NDDC, Akpabio is not fit to be president’, Niger Delta region
Controversial Minister of Niger Delta Affairs, Chief Godswill Akpabio , last Wednesday joined the long list of aspirants seeking the ticket of the All Progressive Congress (APC) to contest for President of Nigeria.
Hardly had his motley crowd departed the Ikot Ekpene stadium venue of his declaration than the Niger Delta region literally went up in outrage at the Minister’s affront to vie for higher office in the face of what they describe as his “desecration” of the region’s foremost interventionist agency, NDDC, administering the Commission since October 2019 with Interim Managements/Sole Administrator contraptions which were not appointed according to the NDDC Act establishing the Commission.
The people of the Niger Delta region, and indeed all well-meaning Nigerians are understandably scandalised and outraged at Akpabio’s egregious and repulsive audacity to seek to aspire to the highest office in the land after he has spent the nearly three years of his tenure at the Ministry of Niger Delta Affairs to spearhead, supervise, and superintend the running of the region’s foremost interventionist agency, NDDC in the breach of its establishment Act of 2000, administering the Commission since October 2019 with Interim Managements/Sole Administrator contraptions which were not appointed according to the statutes establishing the federal agency. It is the longest breach of the law governing the operation of the commission since its establishment in 2000.
The media had variously reported, and Senator Akpabio is yet to deny it that he (Akpabio), as supervising Minister of the NDDC, through an official memo in 2019 recommended the suspension of the inauguration of the substantive Board, which President Buhari had appointed, and which was confirmed by the Senate in November of 2019.
It was also reported in the media that the Minister recommended to President Buhari the running of NDDC with illegal interim managements/sole administrator contraptions until the completion of the forensic audit. These recommendations are contrary to the provisions of NDDC Act. The illegal interim managements/sole administrator contraptions have been administering NDDC since October 2019, in contravention of the law, and negates fair and equitable representation which a board guarantees and which ensures proper governance, accountability, equity and fairness to the nine constituent states.
As clearly stated in The NDDC Act, it only provides that the Board and Management (Managing Director and two Executive Directors) of the NDDC at any point in time should follow the provisions of the law which states that the Board and management is to be appointed by the President, subject to confirmation by the Senate. In effect, nobody is supposed to begin to administer the NDDC and utilise the huge funds accruing to it on a monthly basis without passing through this legal requirement as stipulated in the NDDC Act. To the detriment of the entire region, Senator Akpabio has been using these illegal interim contraptions/sole administrator to fleece the NDDC of its funds in the last two and half years.
In two scathing editorials in the first quarter of this year, “The Merry-Go-Round In NDDC” published on January 12, and “NDDC And The Anti-Graft Hoax” published on February 23, ThisDay newspaper emphatically stated that “The Niger Delta Development Commission (NDDC) is becoming an object of jokes among critical stakeholders. Almost six months after the submission of the report of its much-touted forensic report, the federal government has not been able to implement any of the recommendations or appoint a substantive board to allow the commission function effectively as stipulated by law. All that Nigerians are regaled with are tales and empty presidential threats while the Minister of Niger Delta, Godswill Akpabio continues to run the commission with some nebulous interim management committees that are unknown to law.” The paper also affirmed that “Despite the agitations of critical stakeholders, the commission also remains without a substantive board. The minister of Niger Delta, Godswill Akpabio prefers to treat affairs of the NDDC more like a private estate by saddling the commission with cronies.”
Matter of fact, in October last year, Arewa leader in the South, Alhaji Musa Saidu had called on those urging Senator Godswill Akpabio to run for the 2023 presidency to thread with caution, noting that people of the Niger Delta region are bitter with the Minister over the delay in inaugurating the board of the Niger Delta Development Commission, NDDC.
Alhaji Saidu said who will become President come 2023 is of great importance to all Nigerians, adding that as the leader of the north in the South he would advise the north rightly on the feelings of people of the South on presidential aspirants from the Niger Delta region.
The employment of deceit, propaganda and lies by the Minister of Niger Delta Affairs in perpetuating the capture of the NDDC for selfish parochial interests is rather intriguing. When inaugurating the first illegal Interim Management Committee (IMC) in October 2019, the Minister of Niger Delta Affairs, Chief Godswill Akpabio, said the committee would stay in office for six months to ‘supervise the forensic audit.’ Then in January 2021 Akpabio re-stated that the forensic audit of the Niger Delta Development Commission would be concluded and the report submitted before April 2021.
But in February 2020, Senator Akpabio sacked his first IMC Acting Managing Director Ms Joi Nunieh and appointed a new Acting Managing Director, Professor Kemebradikumo Pondei who was his classmate at FGC Port Harcourt, and extended the stay of the IMC to December 2020, by which time he said the audit will be concluded and the Board put in place. Just when that was drawing near, he sacked the Interim Management Committee and appointed his personal aide, Mr Effiong Okon Akwa, as Interim Sole Administrator “to assume headship till completion of the forensic audit,” with a promised forensic audit completion date of March 2021. That again proved to be a lie as the so-called audit was only completed in August and the report of the audit was submitted to President Buhari by Chief Akpabio on September 2, 2021, yet Okon Akwa is still in office as sole administrator.
In fact, in furtherance of that lie, Akpabio, who has been under fire for how he has manipulated the capture of the NDDC, had assured Niger Deltans that the board will be put in place by the end of July 2021. That promise was, again, not fulfilled.
Unfortunately there has been unending irregularities and lack of due process in NDDC since October 2019 when the illegal interim managements/sole administrator contraptions have been administering the Commission in flagrant violation of the NDDC Act of 2000.
Under the illegal interim managements/sole administrator contraptions, the combined two-year budgets for 2019 and 2020, as approved by the National Assembly was N799 Billion. Yet, as pointed out by Professor Benjamin Okaba, President of Ijaw National Congress (INC), under the interim management/sole administrator contraptions, “over N600bn payments have been made for emergency contracts; over 1,000 persons have been allegedly employed in the NDDC between January and July, 2020 without due process; the 2020 budget was passed in December and N400bn was voted for the NDDC but the commission had spent over N190bn before the budget was passed, thereby violating the Procurement Act.”
It is also important to recall the Senate probe of NDDC in June/July of 2020 which revealed how the NDDC Interim Management Committee (IMC) blew N81.5 billion in just a couple of months on fictitious contracts, frivolities, and in breach of extant financial and public procurement laws. The Senate therefore passed a resolution recommending that the IMC should refund the sum of N4.923 Billion to the Federation Account, and that the IMC should be disbanded, while the substantive board should be inaugurated to manage the Commission in accordance with the law.
At the November 2021 protest by the Association of Contractors of the Niger Delta Development Commission (ACNDDC) who picketed the NDDC Head office in Port Harcourt, Chairman of ACNDDC, Joe Adia stated that “presently huge monies come into the Commission every month and the next thing we hear is that the money is finished. Who are you paying? Give us a record of the people you are paying. How can you pay N800 million each for so-called desilting jobs and yet contractors being owed N5 million you have refused to pay?
Also, earlier in the year, the media was awash with the doubly-restated scandal involving the illegal sole administrator contraption in the Niger Delta Development Commission (NDDC). According to some national newspapers, and many online platforms, in a story entitled “NDDC: IYC Alleges Illegal N20bn Payment To Ghost Contractors Over Phantom Job,” published on February 18, 2022, the Ijaw Youth Council (IYC) alleged that illegal N20bn payment was made to ghost contractors over phantom jobs.
In the reports, IYC alleged that the Minister of Niger Delta Affairs, Godswill Akpabio, “in connivance with some persons, paid the sum of N20 billion to ghost contractors for phony distilling contracts purportedly awarded by the Niger Delta Development Commission (NDDC).”
The council further alleged that “information at its disposal showed that the signatures of a former acting Managing Director of the NDDC, Professor Nelson Brambaifa, and the commission’s former executive director (projects), Samuel Ajogbe, were allegedly forged to carry out the sleazy process.”
A spokesman for the IYC, Ebilade Ekerefe, who spoke in Yenagoa alleged that the “phantom NDDC contractors were paid in tranches of between N300 million and N400 million in the last three months, amounting to N20 billion.”
He urged the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) to launch an investigation into the alleged huge payment to the ghost contractors.
He said, “They should investigate the financial transaction of the commission in the months under review. We have also discovered that out of the N20billion paid out illegally by the NDDC, 60 per cent is going to Abuja through the Bureau de Change while he (Akpabio) has failed to pay the genuine contractors that have finished the projects awarded by the commission.”
Senator Akpabio, by his numerous illegal actions in the NDDC in the last two and half years has been de-marketing the APC under whose platform he now seeks to aspire to become the nation’s President. In an article, “NDDC: Buhari’s Legacy of Illegality and Contempt,” by Godspower Tamunosusi, published in a national daily on December 13, 2021 and in many other national newspapers, he stated that “Niger Deltans are very upset with the disdainful manner the region has been treated.” He also noted that there is increasing anger against Akpabio and the APC in the Niger Delta region “as a result of the very poor, biased, illegal and provocative actions of the Federal Government in the handling of matters concerning the NDDC and the Niger Delta region.”
Further checks on what the Minister has said in the past two and half years firmly show a pattern of lies and deceit employed by Senator Akpabio to perpetrate the ongoing illegality of administering NDDC with interim managements/sole administrator contraptions.
On January 6 2021, Senator Godswill Akpabio, had stated that a substantive board of the Niger Delta Development Commission (NDDC) will be inaugurated by April 2021 after the forensic audit of the commission. Akpabio stated this in Abuja while receiving the interim report of the commission from the forensic auditors. Said he, “By April this year, when we are done with the forensic audit, we will inaugurate a board for the Commission and the report of the forensic audit will be given to those agitating for it so that we can have a new management.”
On the 4th of June 2021, following the ultimatum by Niger Delta militants including Government Ekpemupolo (alias Tompolo), Niger Delta Affairs Minister, Godswill Akpabio stated that the process of inaugurating the NDDC Board starts with him as the supervising Minister and that he would fast-track the process of inaugurating the substantive Niger Delta Development Commission (NDDC) board. He stated this after an emergency consultative visit to Oporoza, headquarters of Gbaramatu Kingdom in Warri Southwest of Delta State. Traditional rulers from Bayelsa, Edo and Ondo states joined the Pere of Gbaramatu kingdom in Delta state as part of the consultative meeting.
The minister, at the consultative meeting said: “There is a process and that process starts with me as the Minister of Niger Delta. The major thing is that we have committed to work together to make sure that we give what the people want. We have agreed that government through me, through my office will work very hard to fast-track the process. The consensus of stakeholders is that there is a need for more representation in the NDDC and so a board is needed”.
Also on June 29 2021, The Minister, who spoke while appearing on a live Radio Nigeria Audience participatory programme organized as part of the activities marking the second term of the Buhari Administration at the Radio House in Abuja stated that the “recommendations and outcome of the forensic audit of the activities of Niger Delta Development Commission, NDDC, would be implemented by the board to be inaugurated soon.”
The following day, June 30, Senator Godswill Akpabio, who fielded questions from State House correspondents at the Presidential Villa, Abuja said that action had been expedited on the process of inauguration of the board of NDDC.
In continuation of a pattern of lies and deceit employed by Senator Akpabio to perpetrate the ongoing illegality of administering NDDC with interim managements/sole administrator contraptions, earlier this week, on May 8, 2022, a national online platform, published a story entitled “Despite failing to constitute board, Akpabio says he repositioned NDDC; A civil society campaigner said that NDDC has ‘failed woefully’ under Mr Akpabio.” According to the platform, despite failing to inaugurate a substantive board for NDDC, Akpabio claimed that he “effectively repositioned the agency to meet its core mandate.” But the online platform reported that under Akpabio, NDDC has become a “corruption haven” as the Commission has been “enmeshed in several contract-related scandals and sundry allegations and mismanagement of funds.”
The online platform also quoted the executive director “We the People”, a non-governmental organisation based in the Niger Delta, Ken Henshaw, as stating that “NDDC has failed woefully under Mr Akpabio.” According to the report, “Mr Henshaw lamented how Mr Akpabio continues to direct the affairs of the NDDC with no regard for extant rules, citing example of the appointment of a ‘sole administrator’ for the agency.” Said Mr. Henshaw, “If you doubt me check reports of past panels of enquiry, including the recent probe by the National Assembly. What you’d hear are tales of corruption, mismanagement and the rest.”
Rather than embark on a wild goose presidential chase, Senator Akpabio should hearken to the legitimate demands of Niger Deltans, to undo the damage which he has done to the Niger Delta region, and get President Muhammadu Buhari to inaugurate the NDDC Board, in accordance with the law and ensure equitable representation of the nine constituent states. This, undoubtedly will ensure that both he and the President do not go down in infamy.
The Federal Government has barred ministers, heads of ministries, departments and agencies and other government appointees from embarking on official foreign trips without prior approval from the Office of the Secretary to the Government of the Federation.
The government also directed the Ministry of Foreign Affairs to make evidence of valid approval from the Office of the Secretary to the Government of the Federation a mandatory requirement for processing official travel documents, including official, diplomatic and service visas for government appointees.
The directive was contained in a circular signed by the Secretary to the Government of the Federation, George Akume, and addressed to top government officials and heads of major Federal Government institutions.
The move comes amid heightened scrutiny of government agencies and individuals claiming to represent the Federal Government, following the controversy surrounding the self-styled Director-General of the purported Presidential Foreign Intervention Promotion Council, Prince Adeniyi Adeyemi.
The controversy has raised questions about how individuals claiming official status can undertake engagements in the name of Nigeria, including foreign engagements, without clear evidence of government authorisation.
However, the latest directive is broader and applies to Federal Government appointees generally.
The circular, titled “Non-Compliance by Government Appointees with the Requirement for OSGF Approval for Official Foreign Trips and the Mandatory Inclusion of OSGF Approval in the Processing of Official Visas,” said the government had observed that some officials continued to embark on official foreign trips without obtaining the required clearance.
It stated, “It has been observed with concern that some Federal Government Appointees continue to embark on official foreign trips without obtaining prior approval from the Office of the Secretary to the Government of the Federation (OSGF), contrary to extant government directives and established administrative procedures regulating official travels outside the country.”
The SGF recalled that the government had issued several circulars over the years to regulate official foreign travel by ministers, heads of ministries, departments and agencies, boards, committees and other public officials.
According to the circular, these directives were issued “with a view to promoting accountability, fiscal discipline and effective coordination of Government business.”
The circular listed a September 18, 2023, circular on “Guidelines for Official Travels by Cabinet Members, Heads of Agencies and Public Officials”, a March 31, 2015, circular on “Guidelines for Official Trips by Chairmen of Federal Government Committees, Boards of Corporations and Government-Owned Companies” and a September 27, 2017, circular on “Additional Cost Control Measures to Guide Foreign Trips by Ministers and Senior Government Officials.”
It also referenced a March 8, 2018, circular on “Observed Indifferent Adherence to Extant Regulations Guiding the Conduct of Foreign Trips by Public Officials” and a November 20, 2012, circular on “Further Cost-Cutting Measures and Fiscal Prudence on Travel by Cabinet Members.”
Despite the previous directives, the SGF said cases of non-compliance had persisted.
The circular stated, “Despite these directives, instances of non-compliance continue to be recorded.”
It warned that the development had broader implications for government administration, stating, “This trend undermines Government’s efforts to ensure proper coordination, accountability, transparency, prudent management of public resources and effective monitoring of official foreign engagements undertaken on behalf of the Federal Government of Nigeria.”
The government consequently reaffirmed the requirement for prior clearance.
The circular stated, “Accordingly, all official foreign trips undertaken by Federal Government appointees shall continue to require prior approval from the Office of the Secretary to the Government of the Federation before such trips are undertaken, except where otherwise expressly provided by law or by specific Presidential directive.”
It added, “This requirement is consistent with the principles of due process, centralised coordination of government business and prudent management of public resources, as reflected in the Public Service Rules, 2021 Edition, the Financial Regulations (Revised Edition, January 2009) and other extant Government directives.”
As part of the immediate measures to strengthen compliance, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs has been directed to ensure that evidence of OSGF approval forms part of the documentation required for official foreign travel.
The circular directed that “The Ministry of Foreign Affairs shall include evidence of valid OSGF approval, where applicable, as a mandatory requirement in the processing of requests for official Notes Verbales, diplomatic facilitation and all applications relating to official foreign travel by Government Appointees.”
The ministry was further directed to communicate the requirement to foreign missions and embassies operating in Nigeria.
It stated, “The ministry is further requested to formally communicate this requirement to all Foreign Missions and Embassies accredited to the Federal Republic of Nigeria, advising that applications for Official, Diplomatic or Service Visas by Government Appointees should, where applicable, be accompanied by duly issued OSGF travel approval as part of the mandatory supporting documentation.”
The new measure therefore gives foreign missions an additional means of verifying whether a Nigerian government official travelling on official business has received the required authorisation.
The Office of the Auditor-General for the Federation was also assigned responsibility for checking compliance with the directive during audit exercises.
According to the circular, “The Office of the Auditor-General for the Federation shall require every government appointee who undertook an official foreign trip at public expense to produce evidence of the requisite OSGF approval during audit exercises.”
The government further warned that public funds spent on unauthorised foreign trips would be subject to scrutiny.
It stated, “Any expenditure incurred in respect of official foreign travel undertaken without the required approval shall be reported appropriately in accordance with extant Financial Regulations and applicable audit procedures.”
The directive also places a direct responsibility on accounting officers and heads of Federal Government institutions to prevent the processing of public funds for unauthorised trips.
It stated, “Accounting Officers, Permanent Secretaries, Chief Executive Officers and Heads of Federal Government Agencies shall ensure that no expenditure relating to official foreign travel by government appointees is processed unless the requisite OSGF approval has first been obtained.”
The SGF consequently directed all ministers, permanent secretaries, accounting officers and heads of ministries, departments and agencies to ensure compliance.
The circular stated, “All Honourable Ministers, Permanent Secretaries, Accounting Officers and Heads of Ministries, Departments and Agencies are hereby directed to ensure strict compliance with the provisions of this Circular.”
It further stated that the directive was effective immediately, declaring, “This circular takes immediate effect and supersedes any administrative practice inconsistent with its provisions, without prejudice to existing extant regulations governing official foreign travel.”
The circular was addressed to the Chief of Staff to the President; Deputy Chief of Staff to the Vice President; all Honourable Ministers and Ministers of State; Head of the Civil Service of the Federation; National Security Adviser; Economic Adviser to the President; Special Advisers and Senior Special Assistants.
It was also addressed to the Chief of Defence Staff, Service Chiefs and Inspector-General of Police; Governor of the Central Bank of Nigeria; Chairman, Federal Civil Service Commission; Chairman, Police Service Commission; Chairman, Code of Conduct Bureau; Chairman, Code of Conduct Tribunal; Chairman, Federal Character Commission; Chairman, Revenue Mobilisation, Allocation and Fiscal Commission; Chairman, Federal Inland Revenue Service; Chairman, Independent National Electoral Commission; Chairman, National Population Commission; Chairman, Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission; Chairman, Economic and Financial Crimes Commission and Chairman, National Drug Law Enforcement Agency.
Other recipients listed in the circular were all permanent secretaries and Heads of Extra-Ministerial Departments; Clerk of the National Assembly; Chief Registrar of the Supreme Court of Nigeria; Accountant-General of the Federation; Auditor-General for the Federation; and Directors-General and Chief Executives of Parastatals, Agencies and Government-Owned Companies.
The breadth of the recipients means the directive covers ministers, senior political appointees, permanent secretaries, security chiefs, heads of regulatory and anti-corruption bodies, electoral institutions, financial institutions, government agencies and government-owned companies.
The development is coming against the backdrop of the controversy over the purported PFIPC, which has drawn attention to the need for stronger verification of individuals and organisations claiming to represent the Federal Government.
The purported PFIPC and its self-styled Director-General, Adeyemi, have been at the centre of investigations into alleged impersonation and the use of questionable government documents.
The matter has also raised concerns about how purported government officials could engage public institutions and foreign entities while claiming to represent Nigeria.
The latest directive, however, does not single out the purported PFIPC or Adeyemi.
Instead, it establishes a general requirement that government appointees must obtain central approval before undertaking official foreign engagements.
By directing the Ministry of Foreign Affairs to demand evidence of OSGF approval, the government is also creating a formal verification mechanism for foreign missions processing travel documents for Nigerian officials.
The financial provisions of the circular further link official travel approval to accountability for public expenditure, as accounting officers have been directed not to process expenses relating to foreign trips unless the required approval has been obtained.
The measures are expected to strengthen the Federal Government’s control over official foreign engagements, reduce unauthorised travel and ensure that persons travelling abroad in the name of the government have the necessary approval to represent Nigeria.
The Minister of Marine and Blue Economy, Adegboyega Oyetola, has revealed that the Federal Government will provide qualified Nigerian shipowners with up to $25m each, under the Cabotage Vessel Financing Fund, a move he said could strengthen indigenous shipping and create more than 30,000 direct and indirect jobs.
This comes as he also disclosed that disbursement of the long-awaited CVFF to qualified Nigerian shipowners to strengthen indigenous shipping and create thousands of jobs will soon commence.
Oyetola disclosed this in a post on his X handle on Monday, saying the government was finally moving to unlock the fund more than 20 years after it was established.
He said the initiative would help address one of the major challenges confronting Nigerian shipowners.
“After more than 20 years, we are finally moving to unlock the Cabotage Vessel Financing Fund (CVFF) for Nigerian shipowners. This is a major step towards building a stronger Nigerian-owned shipping industry, creating jobs and ensuring that more of the value generated from activities in our maritime space stays in Nigeria.
“Under the CVFF, each successful applicant will be able to access up to $25 million in financing to acquire vessels, subject to the applicable assessment and approval process. This is significant because access to affordable, long-term financing has been one of the major challenges limiting the growth of Nigerian-owned shipping companies”, the minister stated.
On how the fund would improve the competitiveness of indigenous operators, the minister said, “With access to financing at very low interest rates, our shipowners can acquire modern vessels, expand their fleets and compete for coastal and offshore contracts that are currently dominated by foreign operators.
“Our objective is to ensure that more Nigerian-owned vessels operate on Nigerian waters, more Nigerian businesses participate in our maritime economy, and more Nigerians benefit from the wealth our waters generate. Providing Nigerian shipowners with the financial capacity to acquire vessels is a critical step towards reducing foreign dominance in our maritime space.”
Oyetola said he had directed the Nigerian Maritime Administration and Safety Agency to accelerate the process of disbursing the fund to qualified applicants.
He stated, “I have, therefore, directed the Nigerian Maritime Administration and Safety Agency (NIMASA) to work closely with the 12 approved banks, known as Primary Lending Institutions (PLIs), to accelerate the disbursement of the fund to qualified applicants.
“NIMASA has so far received 92 applications. Of these, 20 have been forwarded to the Primary Lending Institutions, while one has so far been reviewed and forwarded for approval. To further speed up access, we have expanded the number of approved banks from five to 12 and launched the CVFF Application Portal to make the process more transparent, structured and accessible.”
Writers urged to promote inclusive maritime sector
The minister added that the expected impact of the fund extended beyond vessel acquisition, as increased indigenous ownership could stimulate several areas of the maritime economy.
He said, “The disbursement of the CVFF could help create a stronger indigenous fleet, which will in turn stimulate activity in shipyards, marine engineering, vessel maintenance, maritime logistics and other supporting industries. It could also create more than 30,000 direct and indirect jobs, while strengthening Nigeria’s ship-owning and shipbuilding ecosystem.
“This initiative is part of the Tinubu Administration’s commitment to unlocking the full potential of Nigeria’s Blue Economy, strengthening indigenous capacity and ensuring that Nigerians take a greater share of the opportunities in our maritime sector.”
He also highlighted the government’s efforts to develop the human resources needed to support the maritime industry.
“Financing vessels is only one part of building a stronger indigenous maritime industry. We are equally investing in the people who will power this industry. So far, 222 seafarers have received free professional training, 333 cadets have completed their academic training and obtained degrees, while 135 cadets under the Nigerian Seafarers Development Programme (NSDP) have obtained their Certificates of Competency. In addition, 7,059 Nigerian seafarers have been placed onboard vessels to gain valuable sea-time experience.”
“We are determined to ensure that Nigerians own, operate and benefit from the economic activities taking place in Nigeria’s maritime space. We are building the capacity to make that happen — through vessel financing, skills development, indigenous enterprise and strategic investment in our maritime sector. The work continues”, the minister concluded.
The CVFF was established under the Coastal and Inland Shipping (Cabotage) Act of 2003 to support Nigerian shipping companies in acquiring vessels and developing indigenous capacity. Its disbursement has, however, been delayed for more than two decades.
The Federal Government launched the CVFF application portal in January 2026 and announced that successful applicants could access up to $25m in financing. NIMASA subsequently began receiving applications from interested operators.
NIMASA had disclosed in April that it received more than 60 applications within four months of opening the portal, with the agency promising that the disbursement process would be transparent and strictly monitored.
The latest figure provided by Oyetola represents an increase in applications to 92, although only one application has so far been reviewed and forwarded for approval, according to the minister.
Human rights lawyer and Senior Advocate of Nigeria, Femi Falana, has called on the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) to investigate the alleged failure to account for N33.75 billion in cash transfers meant for vulnerable Nigerians.
Falana, Chairman of the Alliance on Surviving COVID-19 and Beyond (ASCAB), also urged the anti-graft agency to work with the Auditor-General for the Federation (AuGF) to recover the funds if investigations establish that they were diverted.
He made the demand in a statement on Sunday following a report by the Auditor-General for the Federation, Shaakaa Kanyitor Chira, which raised concerns over the inability of the Federal Government to provide sufficient evidence that N33.75 billion in cash transfers reached genuine beneficiaries.
The disclosure is contained in the AuGF’s 2024 Annual Report on Non-Compliance/Internal Control Weaknesses in Ministries, Departments and Agencies of the Federal Government.
According to Falana, the funds were intended for more than 3.29 million vulnerable households under the National Social Investment Programme.
He said the development was particularly concerning given the safeguards introduced by the Federal Government to strengthen the tracking of beneficiaries and prevent the inclusion of ghost recipients.
The National Social Investment Programme Agency (NSIPA) was established as a statutory agency under the National Social Investment Programme Agency Act 2022, with responsibility for implementing major social intervention programmes, including N-Power, the National Home-Grown School Feeding Programme, the National Cash Transfer Programme and the National Social Safety Net Programme.
Falana said the agency had, however, been plagued by allegations of financial impropriety involving some officials.
He recalled that former Minister of Humanitarian Affairs, Disaster Management and Social Development, Sadiya Umar Farouq, had been investigated by the EFCC over alleged money laundering involving more than N37.1 billion.
He also cited the suspension of former Humanitarian Affairs Minister, Betta Edu, following a December 2023 memo directing the transfer of N585 million in public intervention funds to a private bank account.
Falana said the then Chief Executive Officer of NSIPA, Halima Shehu, was also suspended and questioned over alleged suspicious movement of funds.
He said the EFCC should conclude its investigations into the various allegations and make its findings public.
“The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission should liaise with the Auditor-General of the Federation with a view to recovering the missing N33.75 billion,” Falana said.
He urged the EFCC to immediately investigate what he described as a serious allegation of the criminal diversion of funds earmarked for poor and vulnerable Nigerians.
“All the characters involved in the shameful conduct should be arrested and prosecuted without any delay,” he said.
Falana further raised concerns over the implementation of a $3.05 billion package of development programmes unveiled by President Bola Tinubu in July 2026.
The package, supported by the World Bank, is aimed at deepening poverty reduction, strengthening human capital and expanding economic opportunities across the country.
Falana urged the Federal Government to ensure that funds meant for poverty reduction reached their intended beneficiaries and suggested the establishment of a body comprising credible civil society organisations to oversee the disbursement of the development funds.
He said stronger accountability mechanisms were necessary to prevent public officials from abusing funds intended to support poor and vulnerable Nigerians.
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