Nigeria Culture & Tourism Ministry Generated Only 500 Thousand Naira in 2017- Lai Mohammed

The Minister of Information and Culture, Alhaji Lai Mohammed has said the Culture and Tourism Sectors have recorded gross shortfall in revenue generation in 2017. Mohammed said only N500, 000 was generated in 2017 as against the N620, 000 generated in 2016. This was revealed yesterday during the 2018 Budget defense of the ministry before the Senate Committee on Culture and Tourism. Mohammed said: “In 2016 fiscal year, the culture sector generated N620, 000 which has since been remitted to the Consolidated Revenue Fund, Mohammed said.”
The Minister said in the financial performance of the 2017 budget, the sector generated N500, 000 through its agencies which accrued from tender fee only which had been remitted to the Consolidate Revenue Fund. He said for the 2018 Appropriation Bill, the sum of N3, 180,947, 378 was provided for personnel emoluments in 2018 for both culture and information sector.
“For overhead, the sum of N880, 507,008 was provided under overhead expenses in 2018 for both culture and information sector.
“For Capital. A total sum of N810, 510,582 has been proposed in 2018 as capital expenditure under the culture sector while the sum of N496, 678,615 was proposed for both information and culture out of the total budgeted sum of N2, 606,551,260.
“Under 2017 Appropriation Act, the ministry was allocated the sum of N50 million for the equipping of the centres. In this regard contract has been awarded for the equipping of the newly completed centre in Badagry.
“In order to enhance the image of Nigeria abroad, aid cultural diplomacy efforts as well as increase foreign allies the sum of N35 million was appropriated in 2017 for the operation and maintenance of the cultural centres abroad,” Mohammed stated.