Democracy Day, Independence, Conferences, Others To Gulp N6.49bn

The Federal Government’s Ministries, Departments and Agencies plan to spend N6.49bn on national and international celebrations as well as conferences in 2022, according to an analysis of the data contained in the 2022 budget proposal of the MDAs submitted to the National Assembly for approval.

The Ministry of Information and Culture plans to spend N19.8m on anniversaries and celebrations. It also budgeted N10m for International Jazz Day and International Day for the Remembrance of Slave Trade and its Abolition; N3m for UNESCO General Conference; N10m for World Tourism Day Celebration; N9.8m for the Commemoration of the 2022 World Culture Day; N20.3m to participate in festivals and carnivals; N48.78m to participate at the Conference of Ministers of Culture In Edinburgh; N50m to host the United Nations World Tourism Organisation regional conference; and N25.06m to participate in international conferences, seminars, and workshops.

The National Film and Video Censor Board planned to spend N50,000 on anniversaries and celebrations. It also budgetted N5m for the Nigerian Film Day with the Nigerian High Commission in Jamaica and N1m for Cinemacon Emerging Market Conference. Another N1m was budgeted for stakeholders’ meetings, conferences, and festivals.

The Centre for Black African Arts and Civilisation planned to spend N65m on anniversaries and celebrations. It also budgeted N30m to host an international conference; N50m to commemorate FESTAC 77 at 45, N5m to celebrate the annual Black History Month; and N10m for the annual celebration of the Day of the African Child.

The National Gallery of Art planned to spend N39.87m on anniversaries and celebrations. It also budgeted N20m for International Art Fair; N8.12m for the national Independence Day Art Exhibition in collaboration with SNA; and N8.5m for the Children’s Day celebration and art exhibition.

The National Institute for Culture Orientation budgeted N9.17m to participate in an international conference; N15.21 to participate in UNESCO meeting/conference; N44.43m to participate in a national conference on the culture of peace and national security.

While the Auditor-General for the Federation budgeted N29.55m for the annual conference of auditors-general, the Office of the Head of the Civil Service of the Federation budgeted N50m for anniversaries and celebrations.

The Ministry of Communications and Digital Economy planned to spend N6m on anniversaries and celebrations. It also budgetted N41m to celebrate World Telecommunication and Information Society Day and the African Telecommunication Union Day; N50.84m to celebrate Digital Nigeria Day; and N6m for the Annual African Telecommunication Union Day.

The Secretary to the Government of the Federation planned to spend N100.8m to celebrate Independence Day and Democracy Day.

The National Agency for the Control of Aids budgeted N14.25m to commemorate World AIDS Day; and N4.55m to participate in international, regional, and national conferences.

The Ministry of Industry, Trade and Investment budgeted N15m for Africa Industrialisation Day; N20m for summits and an annual conference on global entrepreneurship network; and N20.82m to participate in the Joint 16TH OIML International Conference and the 56TH CIML meeting in Suzhou, P.R. CHINA 2022.

The Ministry of Labour and Employment planned to spend N1.69bn on anniversaries and celebrations. It also budgeted N15m for the Annual Civil Service Week Celebration and Award Giving Day; N15.23m to commemorate the International Day of Older Persons, International Day of Cooperatives and International Day of Persons Living with Disability; and N15m for Annual civil Service Week celebration and award-giving day.

The Michael Imodu Institute of Labour Studies, National Productivity Centre, Geneva Labour Desk Office, and Ministry of Transport planned to spend N11m, N75.86m, N292.99m and 375m respectively on anniversaries and celebrations.

The Ministry Of Science, Technology and Innovation budgeted N18m for World Science Day for Peace and Development; N27.48m for Comprehensive Nuclear Test Ban Treaty Organization Conference (27.48m); and N10.55m for STI week.

The Energy Commission of Nigeria budgeted N5.8m to host the 6th Africa International Renewable Energy Conference and N10.05m for the National Workshop/Conference on Exploration for Geothermal Energy Resources in Nigeria.

The Ministry Of Works and Housing budgeted N103.23m for the national commemoration of World Habitat Day, World Cities Day and urban October activities in Abuja; N18m for the national research conferences on roads and housing development; N50m for PPP conferences, seminars and workshops; and N50m for a conference of directors of lands in federal and state MDAs.

The Ministry of Water Resources budgeted N12.25m for United Nations World Water Day in Nigeria; N8m for the United Nations’ World Rivers Day in Nigeria; and N26.9m to organise an annual national water conference.

The Federal Ministry of Youth and Sports Development planned to spend N239.15m on anniversaries and celebrations. It also budgeted N24.15m for the National conference of youth NGOs; N55m for the commonwealth youth programme; N50m for commonwealth youth work week; N30m for World Youth Skills Day commemoration; and N30m for International Youth Day.

The Ministry of Education budgeted N80m for World Teachers’ Day; N62m for the Commonwealth Day celebration; N50m for the International Literacy Day celebration; and N70.02m for the annual conference.

The Ministry of Health planned to spend N91.45m on anniversaries and celebrations. It also budgeted N10m for International Cancer Week; N35m for United Nations World Day of Remembrance for Victims of Road Traffic Collisions (Trauma) and World Week of Remembrance of Crash Victims, World Trauma Week and Global Road Safety Week; N10m for world drug day; N16.45m for world patient safety day; N10m for national oral health week; N15.5m for world mental health day; and N18.7m for world sickle cell day.

The Ministry of Environment planned to spend N110.73m on anniversaries and celebrations. It also budgeted; N80m for international obligation bilateral/multilateral conferences and conventions; and N200m for the United Nation framework convention on climate change conference.

The National Population Commission budgeted N10m for World Population Day/Annual Population Census Day and N1.2bn for stakeholders’ conference to present the 2018 census instrument.