The National Assembly has raised concerns, believing that this process might be facilitating the appropriation of jobs meant for Nigerians by expatriates.

During the budget defense session on Wednesday, the Minister of Interior, Olubunmi Tunji-Ojo, took the stand to address the merits and demerits of the ministry's issuance of expatriate quotas to deserving foreign companies.

Tunji-Ojo explained that the ministry had exceeded its budgetary target, surpassing the N600 million mark and accumulating a revenue of N1.195 billion by October. He attributed this financial success to the strategic use of expatriate quotas, presenting it as a lever to enhance the ministry's revenue.

He said, “Aside from the projected revenue from expatriate quotas that had been surpassed by about N600m extra, the N380m projected revenue from marriage, has also been surpassed by over N500m with N892.7m realised as of October 31, 2023.”

But the Chairman of the joint committee, Senator Adams Oshiomhole ( APC Edo North ), told the minister that while it was heartwarming that the ministry surpassed its revenue targets on issuance of expatriates quotas, the policy was giving room for expatriates to steal jobs meant for Nigerians in the country.

Oshiomhole said, “Your ministry needs to regulate the issuance of the quotas very well as I have it on good authority that prisoners from foreign land are working in Nigeria as construction workers.

“This is even different from the agelong fraud the oil companies have been carrying out in the country through the policy of expatriate quotas by making our qualified engineers work under foreign technicians.

“Many non-Nigerians are in the country, some of them live inside containers. I even believe and dare say that there are foreign prisoners who are working in Nigeria. They were shipped to our country to serve their prison terms.

“They were being paid according to their country’s minimum wage by the construction industry that brought them. I don’t want to mention the company’s name but if I am provoked, I will mention them.

“Honourable minister, this is a serious issue, prisoners are not expected to work in their countries if the product or whatever they engage in is meant to be exported.