Reps probe Nigeria’s $1.777bn contributions to ECOWAS

The House of Representatives is set to probe the Nigeria’s $1.777bn contributions to ECOWAS in 16 years.

The House yesterday asked its Committees on Inter-parliamentary Relations and ECOWAS Parliament as well as Foreign Affairs to appraise the benefits of the contributions of ECOWAS towards the socio-economic development of Nigeria and Nigerians in the last 10 years to determine the justification of the country’s financial contributions.

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The resolution followed the adoption of a motion by Awaji-inombek Abiante who noted that in 16 years, Nigeria had contributed $1.177bn to ECOWAS as its community levy, saying the amount was the highest contribution by any member state since inception.

Abiante said: “Nigeria has immensely contributed to the ECOWAS power supply to member states, medical interventions and peacekeeping efforts in member states including the Gambia, Mali, Sierra Leone, Guinea Bissau, Liberia among others.”

Deputy Speaker Ahmed Idris Wase said “there are Nigerians who work with ECOWAS as casual staff; while there are those who have been working there without promotion for over seven years.”