Stop the Talk, Fund the Programmes – Falana Tells Tinubu to Back Words with N5 Trillion for Social Investment

Femi Falana, a well-known human rights attorney, has urged President Bola Tinubu to increase funding for the National Social Investment Programs in order to reduce poverty in Nigeria.
Falana said in a statement on Sunday that the federal government’s funding for projects that might not directly affect residents’ well-being is far greater than the amount the government spends on meeting the social requirements of the populace.
According to reports, the lawyer’s remarks came as President Tinubu recently advised governors elected on the platform of the All Progressives Congress (APC) to make sure they put in a lot of effort to bring about development at the local level.
He warned that Nigerians were dissatisfied with the pace of governance and the tangible benefits of democracy.

Speaking at the 14th National Executive Committee (NEC) meeting of the APC at the State House Centre, he called on the governors to “wet the grass more” for greater impact in communities across Nigeria.

However, Falana submitted that President Tinubu needs to do more than just issue instructions to the Governors. He called on the federal government to instead demonstrate leadership by fully funding existing welfare programmes.

“Instead of begging state governments to ‘wet ground more’, President Bola Tinubu is urged to ensure that the National Social Investment Programme Agency Act is adopted and enacted into law by the 36 state governments,” he stated.

The senior lawyer stressed that rather than allocating billions for state house renovations, governments at all levels should focus on implementing impactful social policies to alleviate suffering among the masses.

He criticized the allocation of ₦32.7 billion to the National Social Investment Programme (NSIP) in 2025, which is expected to cater for more than 100 million people, while ₦39 billion was reportedly spent on the renovation of the International Conference Centre in Abuja.

“A government that recently claimed to have spent the sum of ₦39 billion for the renovation of the International Conference Centre at Abuja at the Federal Capital Territory cannot justify the allocation of ₦32.7 billion to fund the National Social Investment Programmes for 2025 to support the 133 million people that are said to be multi-dimensionally poor in the country,” he argued.

He questioned the credibility of a system where lawmakers receive massive monthly emoluments—₦21 million for senators and ₦15 million for members of the House of Representatives—while key social programmes are grossly underfunded.

Citing the recent approval of ₦3.5 trillion by the Federal Executive Council for roads, airports, and other infrastructure, Falana submitted that not less than ₦5 trillion must be allocated to the National Social Investment Programme if the government is serious about making the benefits trickle down to the grassroots.

“Therefore, the Federal Executive Council should, as a matter of urgency, approve not less than ₦5 trillion to fund the National Social Investment Programme,” he said.

He added that the management of such a fund should not be left solely in the hands of government officials, but should involve elected representatives of trade unions and credible civil society organisations to ensure transparency and effectiveness.