The Nigerian Ministry of Foreign Affairs says it spent the sum of N109.161 million campaigning for Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala when she contested for the Director-General of World Trade Organisation position.
In a data obtained from https://www.govspend.ng, a BudgIt platform, the Central Bank of Nigeria, remitted the sum of N109, 161,803.52 to the Mission in Geneva. An amount the apex bank said was for campaign activities of Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala as Nigeria’s candidate for the position of the Director-General of the World Trade Organisation.
Iweala contested the World Trade Organisation Director-General position, a contest she won and assumed the position on the 1st day of March 2021. And, she becomes both the first woman and the first African to hold this position.
Although it is not clear where the Central Bank derives its power to expend such monies without approval, the apex bank has since made such expenditure.
Nigeria is notorious for spending monies without appropriation, and this practice has over the years internalized the culture of abuse in public office and lack of transparency and accountability in the country’s ways of conducting its business.
MAWA Foundation could not immediately reach out to Okonjo Iweala for an official response.
