A new report has revealed that the Federal Government of Nigeria spent approximately N701 million in just three months to cover the foreign trips of First Lady Remi Tinubu.
The trips, which took place between November 2023 and March 2024, spanned five countries, including two in Africa.
According to GovSpend, a civic tech platform that tracks and analyzes government spending, a total of N700,707,532 was disbursed for these trips. The breakdown of the expenses includes:
– On November 17, 2023, N77,659,888 was paid for foreign exchange to fund Mrs. Tinubu’s trip to the United States.
– On February 24, 2024, N149,794,284 was allocated for her trip to France in January 2024.
– On March 15, 2024, N202,386,198 was disbursed for her visit to Mozambique, while N144,571,785 was spent on her trip to Ethiopia in February 2024.
– Lastly, N126,295,377 was paid for her trip to London in February 2024.
In addition to the foreign trips, the government reportedly spent N314,231,472 on six of the First Lady’s programs over four months.
These programs were primarily focused on women, youth, and children.
On May 24, 2024, Rock of Ages Total Events Centre Ltd received N131,921,786 for decorating State House events related to these programs.
Another N107,630,000 was paid on May 29, 2024, to Makeway Nigeria Limited for providing multimedia services at these events.
The combined cost of Remi Tinubu’s foreign trips and programs reached N1,014,939,004 over a period of seven months, raising concerns about government expenditure.
The Punch newspaper first reported on this significant spending, highlighting the need for greater transparency and accountability in the management of public funds.
