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In their 17 months in office, President Bola Tinubu and Vice President Kashim Shettima undertook 41 trips across 26 countries, collectively spending 180 days or six months on foreign engagements, Sunday PUNCH reports.

Analysis shows that Tinubu, with the longer mileage, has logged 124 days abroad, visiting 16 countries on 29 trips. He has also accumulated over 127 flight hours.

So far, the President has visited Malabo, Equatorial Guinea; London, the United Kingdom (four times); Bissau, Guinea-Bissau (twice); Nairobi, Kenya; Porto Norvo, Benin Republic; The Hague, Netherlands; Pretoria, South Africa; Accra, Ghana; New Delhi, India; Abu Dhabi and Dubai in the United Arab Emirates; New York, the United States of America; Riyadh, Saudi Arabia (twice); Berlin, Germany; Addis Ababa, Ethiopia; Dakar, Senegal and Doha, Qatar.

Meanwhile, Shettima has spent 56 days abroad, visiting 10 countries on 12 unique and recurrent trips. He has also accumulated over 93 flight hours.

Shettima has so far visited Rome, Italy; St. Petersburg, Russia; Johannesburg, South Africa; Havana, Cuba; Beijing, China; Iowa and New York in the United States of America; Davos, Switzerland; Yamoussoukro, Ivory Coast (twice); Nairobi, Kenya and Stockholm, Sweden.

Tinubu’s trips

On June 20, 2023, three weeks after assuming office, Tinubu opened his foreign schedule in Paris, the French capital, the city he last visited as President-elect. The Nigerian leader participated in the Paris Summit for the New Global Financial Pact during his four-day stay.

On Saturday, June 24, Tinubu departed Paris for London, the United Kingdom, for private talks with his predecessor, Muhammadu Buhari, spending three days.

From July 8 to 10, he was in Guinea-Bissau to attend the 63rd Ordinary Session of the Authority of Heads of State and Government of the Economic Community of West African States, where he emerged as chairman of the regional bloc.

In his capacity as Chairman of the ECOWAS authority, Tinubu was in Nairobi, Kenya, from July 15 – 17 for the fifth mid-year coordination meeting of the African Union, the Regional Economic Communities, the Regional Mechanisms, and the African Union Member States.

The President began his foreign ceremonial engagements in the neighbouring Republic of Benin on August 1, 2023, when he attended the country’s 63rd independence anniversary. The visit was to honour an invitation from his Beninoise counterpart, Patrice Talon.

Afterwards, he remained in Nigeria for over a month to organise his cabinet of ministers nominated to the Federal Executive Council.

On September 5, he resumed foreign travels in New Delhi, India, where he attended the G-20 Leaders’ Summit from September 10 to 11, at the request of Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi.

Upon leaving India, where he spent a week, the President made a “technical stopover” in Abu Dhabi, the Emirati capital, where he met UAE Leader Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan.

Later that month, the President spent nine days with world leaders in New York, USA, at the 78th United Nations General Assembly, which began on September 19. (His first UNGA as President).

Afterwards, he proceeded to Paris, France, where he remained for five days. He arrived in Abuja on September 29 ahead of Nigeria’s 63rd Independence Day anniversary on October 1.

The President did not leave the country in October until November 9, 2023, when he arrived in Saudi Arabia to attend the Saudi-Africa Summit in Riyadh the next day.

He departed Saudi Arabia on November 16 for his second ceremonial function, the 50th independence anniversary of the Republic of Guinea-Bissau.

On November 18, he embarked on his third trip to Europe, where he attended the G20 Compact with Africa Conference hosted by German Chancellor Olaf Scholz in Berlin. The conference was held on November 20, after which Tinubu returned to Abuja six days later.

A week after returning from Germany, he departed for Dubai, the UAE, to attend the COP28 Climate Summit and returned on December 5.

He resumed travels on January 24, 2024, to Paris, where he spent 14 days on a private visit. He returned on February 6.

On February 15, the President proceeded to Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, where he spent four days participating in the 37th Ordinary Session of the Assembly of the African Union Heads of State and Government.

Doha, the Qatari capital, followed. Tinubu was in the Middle Eastern country from February 29 to March 4 for an official visit. On April 2, he joined other African leaders in Dakar, the Senegalese Capital, to inaugurate the country’s new and youngest President, Basirou Faye.

From April 23 – 26, Tinubu was in the Netherlands for a state visit. Afterwards, he proceeded to Riyadh, the Saudi capital, to participate in the 2024 Special World Economic Forum on Global Collaboration, Growth, and Energy for Development from April 26 to 28.

He proceeded to London on April 29, where he spent nine days before returning on May 8, after speculations on his whereabouts grew rife. On May 23, the President was in N’Djamena, the Republic of Chad, to attend the inauguration of President Idriss Déby Itno.

From June 18 to 20, Tinubu visited Pretoria, South Africa, where he attended President Cyril Ramaphosa’s inauguration and held bilateral talks afterwards.

He also spent three days, July 19 – 22, attending the 6th Mid-Year Coordination Meeting of the African Union in Accra, Ghana. The President was also in Malabo, Equatorial Guinea, for a three-day official visit from August 14-17.

Tinubu embarked on his maiden flight on his newly acquired Airbus A330 luxury jet to Paris, France, the next day. He returned after four days to swear in the Chief Justice of Nigeria, Justice Kudirat Kekere-Ekun.

The Nigerian leader resumed the junket on August 29 in Beijing, China, where he held bilateral talks with his Chinese counterpart, Xi Jinping. Afterward, he attended the Forum on China-Africa Cooperation. Tinubu departed China for the UK, where he spent seven days, and returned on September 14.

On October 2, a day after attending the 64th Independence Day anniversary, Tinubu departed Abuja for the UK again for a two-week working leave. He spent nine days there and proceeded to Paris, France, for an “important engagement,” his Senior Special Assistant on Political and Other Matters, Ibrahim Masari, said.

https://punchng.com/tinubu-shettimas-frequent-foreign-trips-raise-eyebrows/

Nobody stays where they farted....


Tinubu and Shettima can't stand the mess they've created in just few months they resumed responsibilities of leading the country...

They are working hard to reposition Nigeria for greatness.
May God bless Nigeria for ever!

Journey never reach 2 years oo

Foreign trips are part of the job description of a president and vice president.

trutharena:
Foreign trips are part of the job description of a president and vice president.

What are the benefits these foreign trips have attracted to Nigerians and Nigeria

Commander in chief and assistant commander
They can do as they like bro 🙏🏽🙏🏽

The day Nigerians youths realize say na them get Nigeria eh
No be tribal something oo

Toh