The Senate has raised concerns about the Minister of Trade, Industry and Investment, Doris Anite-Uzoka’s allocation of a substantial N1 billion in the 2024 budget proposal for an official trip to Geneva.
During her defense of the ministry’s 2024 budget before the Senate Committee on Trade, Anite-Uzoka revealed the budgetary provisions in a detailed document.
However, former Edo State governor and Senator currently representing Edo North, Adams Oshiomhole, dismissed the estimate as excessive and described it as a misuse of public funds.
Oshiomhole urged the minister to reconsider the Geneva trip and utilize the expertise available within her ministry to cut costs.
“We can’t keep going on with overbloated teams on abroad trips. Use the expertise we have in your offices in that country to save the cost,” Oshiomhole advised.
Additionally, Oshiomhole condemned the minister’s frequent visits to the Bank of Industry, urging her to focus more on her ministerial duties and work for the benefit of Nigerians.
“Madam, sit in your office and work for Nigerians. I have gone there twice. You’re always in BoI. If you preferred BoI, you should have declined the President’s nomination to be minister,” Oshiomhole said.
The former President of the Nigerian Labour Congress also raised concerns about Nigeria’s balance of trade with other nations, particularly with China. He emphasized the need for countries importing goods to Nigeria to invest in local industries.
Minister Uzoka however admitted that her ministry lacked records of the balance of trade, revealing the initiation of a new unit called the Trade Intelligence Unit to address this lapse.
In response, Oshiomhome insisted that data on the balance of trade existed at the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN), Nigeria Customs Service (NCS) and other agencies which the ministry had failed to access.
In her initial presentation, Minister Uzoka outlined her ministry’s commitment to promoting economic growth, creating jobs, generating wealth, and implementing policies to attract foreign direct investments.
She highlighted ongoing initiatives, including the Nigerian Industrial Revolution Plan (NIRP), the National Enterprise Development Programme (NEDEP), the Trade Policy of Nigeria (2023-2027), and the Nigerian Investment Policy (2023-2027).
Additionally, she emphasized the ministry’s role in facilitating the Ease of Doing Business, contributing to increased local investments and government’s industrialization efforts.
