In a heated session before the Senate Committee on Trade and Industry, Minister of Trade and Industry, Anite Doris Uzoka, faced condemnation over the alleged allocation of N1 billion for a foreign trip to Geneva, Switzerland, as part of the 2024 budget.
Senator Adams Oshiomhole criticized the excessive budget for foreign travel, urging the ministry to utilize in-house experts to cut costs. Oshiomhole also expressed concerns about the minister's absence from her office and called for a focus on homegrown products to bolster industrialization.
The debate intensified as Oshiomhole challenged the minister's claim of no records on the nation's Balance of Trade, emphasizing that relevant data exist with agencies like the CBN and Customs.
The session underscored tensions over budget transparency and the need for strategic industrial development.
