Tinubu’s Foreign Trips Cost Presidency N37.6bn

Tinubu’s Foreign Trips Cost Presidency N37.6bn

The Presidency spent N37.64 billion on presidential trips and related travel expenses between June 2023 and April 2026, government expenditure records have revealed.

The figure emerged from an analysis of records obtained through GovSpend, an accountability platform that monitors public spending.

The expenditure covered presidential journeys, foreign-exchange transactions, logistics and funding associated with the Presidential Air Fleet.

The revelation comes as President Bola Tinubu embarks on another overseas trip, leaving Abuja on Sunday for a three-week annual vacation in Europe, with London as his first destination.

Tinubu’s trip followed Vice-President Kashim Shettima’s return from a two-week vacation. Presidential spokesman Bayo Onanuga said the President would return after the working holiday to “join the hectic campaign for the January 2027 elections.”

The Presidency has yet to disclose Tinubu’s complete itinerary or the other European countries he intends to visit.

Records of official journeys and available flight data show that Tinubu has spent about 261 days outside Nigeria since taking office in May 2023.

He has made 51 foreign trips, visited at least 30 countries and, with the latest journey, raised his foreign-trip tally to 52.

How the N37.64bn was spent

The GovSpend records showed that the Presidency spent N9.19 billion on travel-related expenses during the second half of 2023.

The figure rose sharply to N25.27 billion in 2024 before dropping to N2.71 billion in 2025.

Between January and April 2026, another N477.45 million was recorded.

The highest spending year was 2024, with foreign-exchange allocations and substantial funding for the Presidential Air Fleet accounting for a significant portion of the expenditure.

Shortly after Tinubu assumed office in 2023, the records showed payments totalling more than N150 million for “presidential trips and other related expenses.”

In July, N846.03 million and N674.82 million were released as Presidential Air Fleet forex transit funding.

August also recorded several foreign-exchange transactions, including N152.37 million for $200,000 and N228.55 million for $300,000, while another N146.65 million was used for $315,300.

The Presidential Air Fleet received an additional N2 billion and N713.22 million in forex funding during the same month.

In September, four separate transactions of N197.69 million each were linked to $1 million allocations for presidential trips.

Among the payments recorded towards the end of the year was N114.24 million paid to Hinterland Travel & Tours Limited for flight tickets.

52 foreign trips and counting

Tinubu’s overseas travels have included official summits, state visits, bilateral meetings, investment engagements and working vacations.

France has featured most frequently on his itinerary, followed by London and the United Arab Emirates.

His first foreign trip as President was to Paris in June 2023 for the Summit for a New Global Financial Pact.

He later travelled to Guinea-Bissau, Kenya, Niger Republic, India, the UAE, the United States, Germany and Saudi Arabia, among other destinations.

In 2024, his travels included France, Ethiopia, Qatar, Senegal, the Netherlands, Saudi Arabia, Chad, South Africa, Ghana, Equatorial Guinea, China and the United Kingdom.

The President continued with an extensive foreign itinerary in 2025, visiting Ghana, the UAE, Tanzania, France, Ethiopia, the UK, Vatican City, Saint Lucia, Brazil and Japan.

He also spent part of the 2025 Christmas and New Year period in France before returning to Nigeria.

In January 2026 alone, Tinubu spent 22 days abroad, including visits to France, the UAE and Türkiye.

His Türkiye visit was his 47th foreign trip. During the visit, he met President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan and witnessed the signing of nine agreements covering trade, energy, media and higher education.

In March, he travelled to Britain, where a £746 million agreement was signed to modernise the Apapa and Tin Can ports.

He visited France, Kenya and Rwanda in May for further international engagements.

First Lady’s trips cost N700.7m in forex

Separate records showed that $553,884 in foreign exchange was released for overseas trips involving First Lady Oluremi Tinubu between 2023 and 2024.

The forex, linked to trips to the United States, Mozambique, Ethiopia, Britain and France, was worth N700.71 million at the exchange rates applied to the transactions.

The records did not state the purpose of the trips, the number of people in the delegations or their overall costs.

The 2024 transactions alone amounted to $459,570, covering trips to France, Mozambique, Addis Ababa and London.

The records showed no similar foreign-exchange payments for the First Lady’s overseas trips in 2025 and 2026.

Activist questions legal basis

The disclosure prompted questions from the President and Convener of the Transparency and Accountability Group, Comrade Ayo Ologun, over public funding for foreign trips involving the First Lady.

Ologun said the Office of the First Lady was not created by law and therefore questioned the basis for financing its activities with public funds.

“Because her office is not recognised by the law, and there is nothing like the office of the wife of the President,” he said.

He argued that government had a duty to protect public funds from expenditure without clear legal backing.

“They are also supposed to prevent the purse from being depleted. This is simply the depletion of our national commonwealth,” he said.

Ologun also noted that the Office of the First Lady was not captured in the national budget.

“The office is not captured in our budget, because the office does not exist,” he said.

He called for an investigation into the expenditure, asking where the money came from and under what authority it was spent.

“Where did that amount of money come from? If it is spent on the wife of the President, that is abuse of power,” Ologun said.

Atiku condemns President’s timing

Former Vice-President Atiku Abubakar also faulted Tinubu’s decision to leave the country for three weeks at a time he described as particularly difficult for Nigerians.

Atiku, the presidential candidate of the African Democratic Congress, said the country was experiencing a “disturbing vacuum of political leadership.”

He cited high petrol prices, food shortages, rising transport costs and insecurity as reasons the President should remain more closely engaged at home.

“Millions of Nigerians are being grounded by hardship while their President is airborne,” Atiku said.

He also questioned the decision to travel while Shettima was abroad on official duties.

“A father may travel when all is well. But when his roof is burning and his family is trapped inside, he does not pick up his suitcase and head for the airport,” he said.

Atiku concluded by contrasting his political promise with Tinubu’s record, saying, “Tinubu made Nigeria expensive. I will make Nigeria affordable again.”

Presidency: Tinubu needs to ‘refuel’

The Presidency defended the vacation, saying Tinubu had earned the break after months of intensive official duties.

Special Adviser to the President on Media and Public Communication, Sunday Dare, said the President would remain engaged with government business while abroad.

“The President is proceeding on a well-deserved leave,” Dare said.

According to him, Tinubu had taken major decisions on security, the economy and other national matters and needed the break ahead of the coming campaign season.

“At this point, it’s important that the President also refuels,” he said.

Dare added that Tinubu would continue receiving briefings from ministers, service chiefs and other officials while governance continued in his absence.

Foreign Trips Cost Presidency N37.6bn in Three Years

The Presidency spent N37.64 billion on presidential trips and related travel expenses between June 2023 and April 2026, government expenditure records have revealed.

The figure emerged from an analysis of records obtained through GovSpend, an accountability platform that monitors public spending.

The expenditure covered presidential journeys, foreign-exchange transactions, logistics and funding associated with the Presidential Air Fleet.

The revelation comes as President Bola Tinubu embarks on another overseas trip, leaving Abuja on Sunday for a three-week annual vacation in Europe, with London as his first destination.

Tinubu’s trip followed Vice-President Kashim Shettima’s return from a two-week vacation. Presidential spokesman Bayo Onanuga said the President would return after the working holiday to “join the hectic campaign for the January 2027 elections.”

The Presidency has yet to disclose Tinubu’s complete itinerary or the other European countries he intends to visit.

Records of official journeys and available flight data show that Tinubu has spent about 261 days outside Nigeria since taking office in May 2023.

He has made 51 foreign trips, visited at least 30 countries and, with the latest journey, raised his foreign-trip tally to 52.

How the N37.64bn was spent

The GovSpend records showed that the Presidency spent N9.19 billion on travel-related expenses during the second half of 2023.

The figure rose sharply to N25.27 billion in 2024 before dropping to N2.71 billion in 2025.

Between January and April 2026, another N477.45 million was recorded.

The highest spending year was 2024, with foreign-exchange allocations and substantial funding for the Presidential Air Fleet accounting for a significant portion of the expenditure.

Shortly after Tinubu assumed office in 2023, the records showed payments totalling more than N150 million for “presidential trips and other related expenses.”

In July, N846.03 million and N674.82 million were released as Presidential Air Fleet forex transit funding.

August also recorded several foreign-exchange transactions, including N152.37 million for $200,000 and N228.55 million for $300,000, while another N146.65 million was used for $315,300.

The Presidential Air Fleet received an additional N2 billion and N713.22 million in forex funding during the same month.

In September, four separate transactions of N197.69 million each were linked to $1 million allocations for presidential trips.

Among the payments recorded towards the end of the year was N114.24 million paid to Hinterland Travel & Tours Limited for flight tickets.

52 foreign trips and counting

Tinubu’s overseas travels have included official summits, state visits, bilateral meetings, investment engagements and working vacations.

France has featured most frequently on his itinerary, followed by London and the United Arab Emirates.

His first foreign trip as President was to Paris in June 2023 for the Summit for a New Global Financial Pact.

He later travelled to Guinea-Bissau, Kenya, Niger Republic, India, the UAE, the United States, Germany and Saudi Arabia, among other destinations.

In 2024, his travels included France, Ethiopia, Qatar, Senegal, the Netherlands, Saudi Arabia, Chad, South Africa, Ghana, Equatorial Guinea, China and the United Kingdom.

The President continued with an extensive foreign itinerary in 2025, visiting Ghana, the UAE, Tanzania, France, Ethiopia, the UK, Vatican City, Saint Lucia, Brazil and Japan.

He also spent part of the 2025 Christmas and New Year period in France before returning to Nigeria.

In January 2026 alone, Tinubu spent 22 days abroad, including visits to France, the UAE and Türkiye.

His Türkiye visit was his 47th foreign trip. During the visit, he met President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan and witnessed the signing of nine agreements covering trade, energy, media and higher education.

In March, he travelled to Britain, where a £746 million agreement was signed to modernise the Apapa and Tin Can ports.

He visited France, Kenya and Rwanda in May for further international engagements.

First Lady’s trips cost N700.7m in forex

Separate records showed that $553,884 in foreign exchange was released for overseas trips involving First Lady Oluremi Tinubu between 2023 and 2024.

The forex, linked to trips to the United States, Mozambique, Ethiopia, Britain and France, was worth N700.71 million at the exchange rates applied to the transactions.

The records did not state the purpose of the trips, the number of people in the delegations or their overall costs.

The 2024 transactions alone amounted to $459,570, covering trips to France, Mozambique, Addis Ababa and London.

The records showed no similar foreign-exchange payments for the First Lady’s overseas trips in 2025 and 2026.

Activist questions legal basis

The disclosure prompted questions from the President and Convener of the Transparency and Accountability Group, Comrade Ayo Ologun, over public funding for foreign trips involving the First Lady.

Ologun said the Office of the First Lady was not created by law and therefore questioned the basis for financing its activities with public funds.

“Because her office is not recognised by the law, and there is nothing like the office of the wife of the President,” he said.

He argued that government had a duty to protect public funds from expenditure without clear legal backing.

“They are also supposed to prevent the purse from being depleted. This is simply the depletion of our national commonwealth,” he said.

Ologun also noted that the Office of the First Lady was not captured in the national budget.

“The office is not captured in our budget, because the office does not exist,” he said.

He called for an investigation into the expenditure, asking where the money came from and under what authority it was spent.

“Where did that amount of money come from? If it is spent on the wife of the President, that is abuse of power,” Ologun said.

Atiku condemns President’s timing

Former Vice-President Atiku Abubakar also faulted Tinubu’s decision to leave the country for three weeks at a time he described as particularly difficult for Nigerians.

Atiku, the presidential candidate of the African Democratic Congress, said the country was experiencing a “disturbing vacuum of political leadership.”

He cited high petrol prices, food shortages, rising transport costs and insecurity as reasons the President should remain more closely engaged at home.

“Millions of Nigerians are being grounded by hardship while their President is airborne,” Atiku said.

He also questioned the decision to travel while Shettima was abroad on official duties.

“A father may travel when all is well. But when his roof is burning and his family is trapped inside, he does not pick up his suitcase and head for the airport,” he said.

Atiku concluded by contrasting his political promise with Tinubu’s record, saying, “Tinubu made Nigeria expensive. I will make Nigeria affordable again.”

Presidency: Tinubu needs to ‘refuel’

The Presidency defended the vacation, saying Tinubu had earned the break after months of intensive official duties.

Special Adviser to the President on Media and Public Communication, Sunday Dare, said the President would remain engaged with government business while abroad.

“The President is proceeding on a well-deserved leave,” Dare said.

According to him, Tinubu had taken major decisions on security, the economy and other national matters and needed the break ahead of the coming campaign season.

“At this point, it’s important that the President also refuels,” he said.

Dare added that Tinubu would continue receiving briefings from ministers, service chiefs and other officials while governance continued in his absence.

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