The Minister of Industry, Trade, and Investment, Doris Uzoka-Anite, has stated that the report in the media that N1 billion was allocated for a foreign trip to Geneva in the 2024 Budget is not accurate.
According to her, the funds in the budgetary allocation were for certain obligations, overhead and maintenance costs of Nigeria’s Trade Office in Geneva.
She further noted that the current debt owed by the Trade Office is N499,000,000.00, which was also captured in the budget.
Uzoka-Anite added that it is necessary that Nigeria pays its outstanding debts in Geneva and maintains its global standing amongst the comity of nations.
- “The office of the Honourable Minister of Industry, Trade, and Investment wishes to clarify that media reports of a Foreign Trip to Geneva next year budgeted to cost N1 Billion, is an extreme misrepresentation of the facts.
- “We wish to categorically state that there is no line item in the proposed budget of the Federal Ministry of Industry, Trade, and Investment referring to ANY “Foreign Trip to Geneva”.
- “Rather, the only mention of “Geneva” in the proposed budget concerns the maintenance of the Nigerian Trade Office in Geneva, captured as “External Trade Sector, Geneva (WTO)”, which may have been misconstrued as “Foreign Trip to Geneva“.
- “For clarification, Nigeria, as an active player in global trade maintains an office in Geneva responsible for representing and defending Nigeria’s multilateral trade interests in the World Trade Organisation (WTO) and the United Nations Conference on Trade and Development (UNCTAD), both headquartered in Geneva Switzerland.
- “Expectedly, the Nigerian Trade Office, Geneva has obligations, overhead and maintenance costs as with any organisation, that must be met.
- “The current debt owed by the Nigeria Trade Office in Geneva as captured in the budget is N499,000,000.00, and it was deemed necessary to propose a budget that will service Nigeria’s outstanding debts in Geneva and maintain Nigeria’s respect and global standing amongst the comity of nations.
- “Please be assured that the Ministry is committed to prudence, transparency and accountability,” she added.
She mentioned that the total budget proposal for the expenses is N1,610,183,599, adding that the personal cost stands at N805, 379, 820 while the overhead cost Is N204,058,434. She also stated that the capital cost is N600, 745, 345.
Backstory
Earlier, it was widely reported that the Minister of Trade, Industry and Investments, Doris Uzoka-Anite, is proposing to spend over a billion naira on a trip to Geneva next year.
According to reports from different media outlets, the proposed spending is contained in the allocation of the ministry in the 2024 budget.
Adams Oshiomhole, chairman of the Senate Committee on Interior, also raised concerns about the proposed travelling expenses to Geneva.
Mr. Oshiomhole further raised concerns about the Minister’s decision to allocate over N1 billion for a trip to Geneva, especially during a period of economic hardship pushing many Nigerians into poverty.
- “I see that you intend to travel to Geneva next year and you have budgeted over one billion for that. We can’t keep going on with over-bloated teams on abroad trips. Use the experts we have in your offices in the country to save costs.
- “Let us practice what we preach. We cannot talk about industrialisation and keep importing toothpicks and tyres. We must ensure that we have homegrown products,” he said.
