If you’re searching for a NAPEP recruitment or registration portal in 2026, the most important thing to know is this: the National Poverty Eradication Program (NAPEP) has not existed as an active federal government initiative for years, and Nigerian authorities have explicitly confirmed this. A website operating at napep-gov.ng, along with several articles promoting it, has been identified as a scam impersonating a defunct government program, not a revived one. This article explains what NAPEP actually was, how the current scam works, and where to find the real, currently active government poverty-support programs.

What NAPEP Actually Was

NAPEP was established in 2001 under President Olusegun Obasanjo’s administration to coordinate federal poverty-reduction efforts, replacing the earlier Poverty Alleviation Program. It ran vocational training, micro-credit support, and the well-known Keke NAPEP tricycle scheme. By the time later administrations shifted poverty-alleviation efforts to newer frameworks such as the National Social Investment Program, NAPEP had effectively wound down and stopped operating as an active recruiting body.

There Is No Genuine 2026 NAPEP Portal

Despite this, a website at napep-gov.ng has been actively soliciting registrations since around April 2025, promising a monthly stipend of ₦100,000 and requesting a National Identification Number (NIN) “verification” payment of around ₦765. Independent investigation has traced this site to the same operators who previously ran a fake Bank of Industry (BOI) scheme before pivoting to the more emotionally appealing, familiar NAPEP name. Several signs confirm this is not a genuine government platform:

• No Nigerian ministry, agency, or official has ever announced a NAPEP revival. A program promising a ₦100,000 monthly stipend to a national audience would be major news; there has been no press release, ministerial statement, or coverage on state broadcasters confirming it.
• The domain itself is a red flag. Genuine Nigerian government platforms use verified .gov.ng domains without this kind of hyphenated, name-mimicking structure and are registered through a formal government verification process. “Napep-gov.ng” is designed to look official at a glance, not to actually be a verified government domain.
• It charges a fee for NIN verification. Real NIN verification through NIMC (nimc.gov.ng) is free. No legitimate Nigerian empowerment program, NYIF, the Conditional Cash Transfer scheme, or any other, has ever required payment to verify identity or register.
• The promised ₦100,000 monthly stipend doesn’t match any real program. The actual, currently running Conditional Cash Transfer initiative pays ₦25,000 per installment, for a total of ₦75,000 across three installments, not ₦100,000 every month indefinitely.
• The site has reportedly shifted its stated deadline over time, from an initial April 2025 date to an open-ended “still ongoing” status a common tactic to keep collecting registrations and fees indefinitely.
• Some recruitment and empowerment blogs, and at least one sponsored/promoted placement on a mainstream news site, have unknowingly amplified the fake portal’s claims, making it appear more credible than it is.

If you have already registered on napep-gov.ng or made a payment to it, do not panic, but act quickly: contact your bank to report the transaction as fraudulent and request a reversal, report the site to the National Information Technology Development Agency (NITDA) through its cybersecurity reporting channel, and report the fraud to the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC). Avoid sharing further personal information with the site.

Where the Real Poverty-Support Programs Are

Nigeria’s actual current federal poverty-reduction infrastructure runs through different platforms than NAPEP ever did. If you’re looking for genuine support:

• National Social Register (NASSCO) nassp.gov.ng is the official platform for Nigeria’s National Social Register, which underpins the country’s cash transfer and safety-net programs.
• Conditional Cash Transfer (CCT) / Rapid Response Register (RRR) administered through the National Cash Transfer Office (NCTO) and NASSCO; this is the genuine current cash-support scheme, paying ₦25,000 per installment to registered vulnerable households.
• Similar youth empowerment schemes are administered through the Federal Ministry of Youth Development’s official channels.
• Nigeria Youth Investment Fund (NYIF) is administered through NIRSAL Microfinance Bank and the Federal Ministry of Youth Development for business-focused microloans.

None of these legitimate programs will ever ask you to pay a fee to register, verify your NIN, or “unlock” a stipend. That single rule genuine government empowerment programs are free to apply to is the fastest way to protect yourself from this type of scam and others like it.

How to Protect Yourself Going Forward

1. Treat any newly “revived” federal program with a payment requirement as an immediate red flag, regardless of how official the website looks.

2. Verify a program’s existence through an actual ministry statement, a .gov.ng domain you’ve confirmed independently, or coverage from established Nigerian news outlets reporting it as news rather than as sponsored content.

3. Never pay for NIN verification. NIMC’s own verification process via nimc.gov.ng is free.

4. If a deadline keeps shifting or a site describes itself as “still ongoing” indefinitely, be especially cautious; genuine recruitment and registration exercises have fixed, publicly announced windows.

Frequently Asked Questions

Is NAPEP recruitment or registration open in 2026?

No. NAPEP has not operated as an active federal program for years. Any site claiming to run a current NAPEP registration or recruitment exercise, including napep-gov.ng, is not an official government platform.

I already registered and paid a fee on napep-gov.ng. What should I do?

Contact your bank immediately to report the transaction as fraudulent, report the incident to NITDA’s cybersecurity reporting channel and to the EFCC, and avoid submitting any further personal information to the site.

Where can I find real government poverty-support programs?

Start with nassp.gov.ng for the National Social Register and Conditional Cash Transfer information, and check the Federal Ministry of Youth Development’s official channels for NYIF.

Why does this fake site look so convincing?

It uses a familiar, once-genuine program name, poverty-focused imagery, and simple registration forms designed to build trust quickly. Some blogs and even a sponsored placement on a mainstream outlet have repeated its claims, which have added to its apparent credibility despite the absence of any official government confirmation.