Kunle Adelabu
Hon. Tokunbo Abiru, Chairman, Senate Committee on Industries (right) and a member of the committee (left) during the defense of budget proposals by critical agencies on Wednesday.
The Senate Committee on Industries has received presentations from the Industrial Training Fund (ITF), Bank of Industries (BOI), Standard Organization of Nigeria (SON) and Small and Medium Enterprises Development Agency of Nigeria (SMEDAN), on their 2023 budget proposals.
The critical agencies appeared before the committee to defend their budgets on Wednesday before the Senator Mukhail Adetokunbo Abiru, FCA, led committee.
While the ITF presentation was done by its Director General, Sir Joseph Ari, its counterpart from SMEDAN, Mr Olawale Fasanya made a presentation on the budget proposal of his agency.
Also, the budget proposal presentation of BOI was done by the Executive Director (SME), Mr. Shekarau Omar who represented the Managing Director.
In their respective presentations, the agencies’ heads appealed to the Senate to approve and pass their budgets as presented considering the importance of their various agencies to the development of the country, particularly with regard to the challenges currently facing the nation.
The Committee members urged the agencies to shore up their revenues in terms of generation to help with the deficit in funding of the budget currently being experienced and to also be prudent in the management of appropriated funds considering the nation’s dire financial state. They particularly emphasised the need for the agencies to live up to the high expectations of Nigerians from them.
Distinguished members of the Committee at the budget defence included the Vice-chairman of the committee, Senator Francis Ibezim (Imo North), Senator Michael Opeyemi Bamidele (Ekiti Central) , Senator Ibrahim Hadegia (Jigawa North East), Senator Tolu Odebiyi (Ogun West), Senator Chris Ekpeyong (Akwa-Ibom North West), Senator Saidu Alkali (Gombe North), Senator Isah Jubrin (Kogi East), Senator Francis Fadahunsi(Osun East), Senator Ibrahim Oloriegbe (Kwara Central ), Senator Sodiq Umar (Kwara North) and Senator Aliyu Sabi Abdulahi (Niger North).
