The Minister of Trade, Industry and Investments, Doris Uzoka-Anite, on Wednesday, said the N1.6 billion line item in the 2024 budget for the ministry is for the maintenance of the Nigerian Trade Office in Geneva and not for a foreign trip.
The minister stated this in a statement on Wednesday while reacting to a statement by a senator that her ministry proposed to spend over N1 billion for a trip to Geneva next year.
Mrs Uzoka-Anite appeared before the Joint National Assembly Committee on Trade Industry and Investment on Tuesday, to defend the budgetary allocation to her ministry.
During the session, Adams Oshiomole, the senator representing Edo North, questioned what he said was a line item in the budget proposal relating to a trip to Geneva.
“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,” Mr Oshiomole said.
Mrs Uzoka-Anite did not challenge the senator or dispute his claim at the public hearing.
But in the Wednesday statement signed by her Special Adviser on Media and Strategy, Badejo Ademuyiwa, Mrs Uzoka-Anite explained that no line item in the budget proposal of her ministry provides for a foreign trip to Geneva.
She said N1.6 billion was allocated for the maintenance of the Nigerian Trade Office in Geneva.
“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 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.
She explained that the maintenance of the Nigerian Trade Office in Geneva is necessary and it is a standard practice.
“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.”
Mrs Uzoka-Anite said the Nigerian Trade Office in Geneva has a debt of N499 million, which was also captured in the budget proposal.
“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.”
A review of the proposed appropriation for the 2024 fiscal year as presented by President Bola Tinubu, showed that there was no line item in the budget of the ministry of trade, industry and investment which provides over a billion naira for a trip to Geneva.
However, there is a line in the External Trade Sector, Geneva (WTO), that provides for international travel and transport with an allocation of N29.6 million.
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Other line items relating to Geneva only provide for outstanding liabilities from Nigeria Trade Office Abroad with an allocation of N500 million; purchase of office facilities including a photocopier, scanners, laptops and desktop computers with an allocation of N51.8 million and the purchase of office chairs, tables and other furniture for the Geneva Trade mission, including the ambassador’s residence with an allocation of N48.9 million.