 |
| Senate |
On Tuesday, the Senate initiated steps to relocate the National Social Investment Program Agency from the Ministry of Humanitarian Affairs to the presidency, with the aim of improving the management and execution of the National Social Investment Programme.
These programs include the N-POWER Programme, the Government Enterprise and Empowerment Programme (GEEP), the National Home-Grown School Feeding Programme (NHGSEP), and the Conditional Cash Transfer Programme (CCT).
Senator Opeyemi Bamidele, the bill's sponsor, contended that the proposed amendments to Sections 9 (3), 14 (1), 21 (1), 22 (1), 26 (1), and 33 of the National Social Investment Programme Agency Act align with President Bola Tinubu's renewed Hope Mantra.
Emphasizing the need for the Social Investment Programme to maintain high standards, transparency, effectiveness, and accountability. He further highlighted that this transfer would place the agency directly under the President's supervision.
He emphasized that this action aligns with Section 17 (3) of the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, which mandates the state to prioritize policies that offer equal opportunities for all citizens, without discrimination, to attain adequate livelihood and provide support in deserving cases or conditions of need, among other objectives.
The legislator stated that through this amendment, a broad spectrum of Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), such as poverty reduction, education, healthcare, social inclusion, and empowerment, can be accomplished through the National Social Investment Programme Agency (NSIPA).
In his contribution, Senator Ahmed Lawan, representing Yobe North, highlighted that the Ninth Senate had previously passed the bill, although its implementation was flawed as it struggled to reach those in rural areas who needed support.
He also pointed out that in order to achieve social inclusion, distributing funds to individuals without bank accounts could be a challenge.
He stressed the need for the National Assembly's active involvement to ensure that the program effectively reaches the beneficiaries requiring support.
During his input, Senator Seriake Dickson encouraged fellow lawmakers to use this opportunity to address various concerns raised during the program's previous implementation.
He suggested that the amendment should encompass the method for selecting individuals classified as poor and vulnerable.
He noted that past governments had introduced initiatives like Trader Moni and COVID palliatives without parliamentary approval, and he recommended that the committee should also consider how these programs are distributed across local governments.
The Senate president promptly referred the bill to the committee of the whole house for consideration on the next legislative day, allowing senators to review the bill.
The National Social Investment Programme (NSIP) was established in 2016 by the previous administration, and the National Social Programme Agency Act was enacted in the current year to address socio-economic disparities and alleviate poverty among Nigerians through four social support programs designed to uplift the most impoverished and vulnerable citizens to an acceptable standard of living.