Thirty-eight expenditures in the 2021 expenses of Nigeria in Diaspora Commission (NiDCOM), amounting to N130million meant for research and development, was blown for trips, estacodes, data mapping among other purposes. Further checks on the research and development funds drained in the 2021 budget of NiDCOM revealed that Nigerian taxpayers funded the online presence of the agency with N28.9 million, 22.20% of the N130m budget for her research and development. Details of these expenses as captured in the 2021 research and development expenses of the agency with budget code 23050101 reads as follows.”being requisition for the award of contract for consultancy services for the NIDCOM App development project, phase I (with remittance functionality) the lot 4 research and development job cost Nigerian taxpayers N19,271,566.00. Connected to these expenses are payments undertaken on behalf of Nigerian taxpayers by officials of NiDCOM listed as items 19, 20 and 22. In its bid to popularise the activities of NiDCOM, the agency splashed over N11m on the establishment of an online radio station.

Source: Nigerian Tribune February 06, 2022 23:01 UTC