‘Tinubu’s foreign trips cost Nigeria N2.3b in six months’

Ezekwesili, Sowore flay govt spending amid hardship, debt crisis In just six months, President Bola Tinubu has spent a staggering N2.3 billion on foreign trips and related expenses, despite soaring inflation and widespread hardship in the country. Former Minister of Education, Oby Ezekwesili, has strongly condemned the President, the National Assembly and state governors for their display of fiscal rascality amid Nigeria’s crippling debt burden.

Also, the African Action Congress (AAC) presidential candidate in the 2023 general election, Omoyele Sowore, lambasted Tinubu for acquiring a new presidential jet, an Airbus A330, amid the country’s economic woes. Data from GovSpend, a BudgIT Foundation analytics platform, revealed that between February 21 and July 19, 2024, Tinubu spent N2,346,623,000 on foreign trips, a significant portion of his overall spending since taking office. According to GovSpend, on February 21, 2024, the State House, Abuja, paid N300 million for Presidential trips and related expenses for January 2024.

“On February 24, the State House also made a N250 million payment for Presidential trips and related expenses. And on March 15, N42,379,100 was paid for Presidential trips and related expenses. “On March 15, N9,484,310 was paid for Presidential trips and related expenses.

On the same date, N25,393,490 and N34,185,400 were paid for the same purpose,” the data revealed. Other payments made for Presidential foreign trips, as disclosed by the document.