Nigeria’s Presidency has spent a staggering ₦37.64 billion on international travels, logistics, and foreign exchange allocations between June 2023 and April 2026. This massive expenditure was uncovered through a detailed review of GovSpend, a public treasury tracking platform developed by civic tech organization BudgIT.
The revelation comes at a highly symbolic moment, just as President Bola Tinubu departed Abuja for a three-week annual vacation in Europe, with London as his primary destination.
A Year-by-Year Breakdown of Travel Expenditure
According to the public expenditure records, the financial demands of presidential travel surged dramatically in 2024. A closer look at the data shows the following trajectory of spending:
- Second half of 2023: ₦9.18 billion was spent following President Tinubu’s inauguration in May.
- 2024: Expenditures peaked at ₦25.26 billion, largely driven by skyrocketing foreign exchange costs and operational funding for the Presidential Air Fleet.
- 2025: Travel expenses dropped to ₦2.7 billion.
- January to April 2026: The Presidency recorded ₦477.4 million in travel-related costs.
Tinubu’s Extensive Global Footprint
Since taking the oath of office on May 29, 2023, President Tinubu has maintained an exceptionally active international itinerary. Official records indicate that the President has spent approximately 261 days outside Nigeria’s borders. This translates to 51 separate foreign missions covering at least 30 different nations across the globe.
Questions Raised Over First Lady’s Travel Funding
Adding to the controversy is the allocation of foreign exchange for travels involving the First Lady, Oluremi Tinubu. Data shows that $553,884 (equivalent to approximately ₦700.7 million under prevailing exchange rates) was disbursed for her overseas engagements between 2023 and 2024.
This spending has drawn sharp criticism from civil society organizations. Ayo Ologun, President of the Transparency and Accountability Group, has publicly challenged the constitutional validity of funding these trips, pointing out that the office of the First Lady is not legally recognized under Nigerian law.
“Because her office is not recognized by the law, if it is established that public money was spent on supposed official travels, the question should be: what is the duty?” Ologun questioned, adding that utilizing public funds for the spouse of the President represents a clear abuse of power.