Nigeria’s President, Tinubu, bans foreign trips by government officials

NIGERIA – Nigeria’s President Bola Tinubu will introduce a three-month ban on ministers and other government officials from going on publicly funded foreign trips.

Tinubu’s chief of staff said the move was prompted by the president’s “concerns about the rising cost of travel expenses” by public officials.

The ban would take effect on April 1, 2024.

BBC reported that President Tinubu and his administration had been criticised by some for their frequent visits abroad.

Since his inauguration in May, Tinubu has made more than 15 foreign trips.

The Nigerian president is said to have spent at least 3.4 billion naira (US$2.2m; £1.8 million) on domestic and foreign travel in the first six months of his presidency – 36 percent more than the budgeted amount for 2023, the Nigerian newspaper Punch reported in January, citing GovSpend, a civic tech platform that tracks government spending.

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Tinubu’s chief of staff Femi Gbajabiamila said the travel ban will cut costs amid Nigeria’s “current economic challenges and the need for responsible fiscal management”.

The West African country is grappling with one of its worst cost-of-living crises in decades, a situation that has led to widespread hardship and anger.

The three-month block on official travel by government officials isvTinubu’s latest attempt at countering the public backlash.

In January, the Nigerian president announced a reduction in the size of the official travel delegation by about 60 percent, including cuts to his own travel entourage.

When the ban takes effect in April, government officials would only go on foreign trips “deemed absolutely necessary”.

They would also require President Tinubu’s approval at least two weeks before they travel.

Gbajabiamila added that the halt on travel would ensure that government officials “focus on their respective mandates for effective service delivery.”

Despite clamping down on travel by government officials, Mr Tinubu has not said whether he will reduce his own trips.

The president and his representatives had in the past defended his trips as being vital in addressing the economic problems he is accused of ignoring.

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