Nigeria bans official trips abroad for three months to cut costs

The measure affects ministers and other officials and could have exceptions for “absolutely necessary” trips

March 21. (EUROPA PRESS) –

The president of Nigeria, Bola Tinu, has ordered a ban on all foreign travel by ministers and other officials, a measure that will be in force for three months and could have exceptions for “absolutely necessary” trips.

Tinubu has conveyed the order through a letter sent by the head of his office, Gemi Gbajabiamila, to the Secretary of the Government, George Akume, according to the Nigerian newspaper 'The Premium Times', which has had access to the letter.

The authenticity of the letter has been confirmed by several ministers, including one who has claimed that he received a copy sent by the Presidency, amid concerns expressed by Tinubu over the high costs of official trips abroad.

Thus, the letter states that the measure has been adopted “taking into account the current economic challenges and the need for responsible fiscal management” and states that it affects “all international trips financed with public money for all federal government officials, at all levels.”

“This temporary measure is intended to reduce the costs of governance and seeks to be a cost-saving measure that does not compromise government functions,” he highlights, while adding that all officials who must undertake these trips “must request and obtain presidential approval at least two weeks before the trip, which must be considered absolutely necessary.

Tinubu already approved in January a “massive cut” in the costs derived from official travel at the national and international level that included a reduction in the size of the delegations of senior officials and the delegation of responsibility for travel security at the level national to the states to which the displacement occurs.

This announcement came after a wave of criticism against Tinubu after more than 400 people were part of the Nigerian delegation at the United Nations Climate Change Conference (COP28) held in December 2023 in the United Arab Emirates (UAE).

Tinubu was sworn into office in May 2023 after winning the elections held in February of that year, marked by allegations of fraud by several opponents who said they did not recognize their defeat, although the courts finally ratified his victory.