BY Dyepkazah Shibayan
Doris Uzoka-Anite, minister of trade, industry, and investment, says N1.6 billion in the ministry’s 2024 budget proposal was earmarked for the country’s trade office in Geneva, Switzerland, and not for a trip to the country.
Uzoka-Anite came under scrutiny on Tuesday when she appeared before the national assembly joint committee on trade and investment to defend her ministry’s 2024 budget proposal.
After presenting the figures in the budget, Adams Oshiomhole, senator representing Edo north and a member of the committee, questioned a line item in the budget proposal which provides N1 billion for a single trip to Geneva.
“I see that you intend to travel to Geneva next year and you have budgeted over one billion for that,” Oshiomhole had said.
“We cannot keep going on with over-bloated teams on foreign trips.”
In a statement on Wednesday, Toluwase Moyan, media aide to the minister, quoted Uzoka-Anite as saying that such a line item does not exist.
“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’,” the statement reads.
“Rather, the only mention of ‘Geneva’ in the proposed budget is with respect to 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’.
“In fact, the total amount (for NIGERIA’S TRADE OFFICE IN GENEVA) in the appropriation for 2024 is N1,610,183,599 with the breakdown as follows: Personnel Cost, N805, 379, 820; Overhead, N204, 058, 434; Capital, N600, 745, 345.”
The minister said as an active player in global trade, Nigeria needed to maintain an office in Geneva which is responsible for representing and defending the country’s multilateral trade interests.
“In fact, 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,” she said.
The minister added that her ministry is committed to prudence and accountability.
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