N1.6bn Budget Not Foreign Trip — Trade Minister Clarifies

The minister of trade, industry, and investment, Doris Uzoka-Anite has clarified the issues surrounding the ministry’s N1.6 billion budget.

She said that the 2024 budget proposal was earmarked for the country’s trade office in Geneva, Switzerland, and not for foreign trips.

It was reported that Uzoka-Anite received backlash after she appeared before the National Assembly joint committee on trade and investment to defend her ministry’s 2024 budget proposal on Tuesday, December 13.

The senator representing Edo North and committee member, Adams Oshiomhole raised concerns over a line item in the proposed budget that would have paid N1 billion for a single trip to Geneva.

He said: “I see that you intend to travel to Geneva next year and you have budgeted over one billion for that.

“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.

She said: “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.”

According to the minister, Nigeria must keep an office in Geneva to advocate and safeguard its interests in multilateral trade as a major participant in international commerce.

She added: “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.”