₦airaland Forum

Ministries, departments and agencies of the Federal Government, alongside the Presidency, spent at least N1.99bn on foreign trips, training and estacodes in France between May 2023 and September 2024, Sunday PUNCH reports.

The findings are based on an analysis of data from GovSpend, a transparency platform by BudgIT that tracks public expenditure.

The funds covered airfare, hotel accommodation, visa processing, estacodes, training programmes and business meetings.

A substantial portion was spent on executive training programmes, study trips and international conferences.

One of the largest single expenses was N626.91m, paid by the Office of the Special Adviser to the President on Niger Delta for the training and type rating of 35 cadet pilots in South Africa, France and Nigeria.

The funds were transferred from the GIFMIS platform to the PAP Naira Transit Account at the Central Bank of Nigeria.

The State House also recorded heavy spending on foreign trips, including N149.79m for foreign exchange purchases for the First Lady’s trip to France on April 1, 2024. Another N6.29m was allocated in March 2024 for the processing of a five-year multiple-entry visa for the Vice President.

Several MDAs incurred significant expenses on overseas trips. The National Merit Award spent N15.5m as an advance payment for course fees for eight participants in a Paris training programme from 14 to 20 May 2023.

The Centre for Management Development spent N34.3m for six of its officials, each receiving N5.71m, to attend training in France.

Some top officials were also beneficiaries of these foreign trips. The Director-General of the Federal Institute of Industrial Research, Oshodi, Adamu Jummai, and the former Director-General of the National Directorate of Employment, Nuhu Fikpo, were among those whose trips were fully funded for executive programmes in Paris.

The Nigeria Communications Satellite Limited spent N41.09m on multiple officials, including the Technical Adviser to the NIGCOMSAT CEO, Temitope Yoosuf, for business meetings with Airbus in Toulouse, France.

Jane Egerton-Idehen, its Chief Executive Officer, and Aisha Bantam, Head of Corporate Affairs at NIGCOMSAT, were also funded with N11.88m and N5.65m, respectively, to attend the World Space Business Week in Paris.

The Nigeria Football Federation spent N124.45m on flight tickets for Super Falcons players travelling between America, France, Spain and Nigeria for their Olympic Games qualifier against Ethiopia.

Other notable payments include N10.62m by the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission for airfare for three officials attending the G20 Anti-Corruption Working Group meeting in Paris.


The Fiscal Responsibility Commission also paid N7.90m for an officer to attend the 2023 International Bar Association Conference in France.

The Federal Ministry of Health paid N5.30m each for David Beine Atuwo and Olusola Ayoola to participate in the 11th EDCTP Forum in France, covering airfare and conference participation.


The Defence Intelligence Agency made two significant payments, totalling N574.52m, for the salaries of two seconded staff of the Nigerian Financial Intelligence Unit at Interpol in Lyon, France, and Egmont Group in Ottawa, Canada.

The spending comes amid growing concerns over government expenditure and the rising cost of governance.

With the economy grappling with high inflation, fiscal deficits and a weakening naira, there have been calls for greater accountability and transparency in public spending.

The PUNCH earlier observed that in Tinubu’s first six months in office, specifically between June and December 2023, the State House spent not less than N3.4bn on both his local and foreign travels.

Similarly, in the first three months of 2024, a total of N5.24bn was spent by the State House on local and foreign travel expenses of the trio of Tinubu, Shettima and First Lady Remi Tinubu.

A sum of N1.35bn was spent as provision for presidential trips and other related expenses between January and March, N3.53bn was expended for the purchase of foreign currencies during 10 international trips, and N637.85m was disbursed to two travel agencies for the purchase of air tickets for presidential local and foreign trips.

It was also reported that major opposition parties have faulted Tinubu’s frequent travel abroad. According to them, the President is more interested in globetrotting than addressing pressing issues in the country.

But the presidency said a leader who sought to bring foreign investments couldn’t afford to sit back when the harvest was out there.

A few months ago, the Minister of Foreign Affairs, Yusuf Tuggar, justified President Bola Tinubu’s frequent travel abroad, saying he needs to embark on more trips because of its inherent benefits.

When reminded that Nigeria doesn’t have the money required for such frequent trips, the minister disagreed.

“Nigeria has the money. How much does travelling cost compared to the benefits? Again, how much does it cost really when you compare it to some of the things that the President has already addressed?

“How much have we wasted on fuel, electricity and other subsidies? He was subsidising consumption instead of production and subsidising the real sector of the economy,” he said.

In the past 21 months in office, Tinubu has visited about 19 countries on 32 foreign trips.

Among the countries visited were Paris, France; Malabo, Equatorial Guinea; London, the United Kingdom; Bissau, Guinea-Bissau; Nairobi, Kenya; Porto Norvo, Benin Republic; The Hague, Netherlands; Pretoria, South Africa; Accra, Ghana.

Others included New Delhi, India; Abu Dhabi and Dubai in the United Arab Emirates; New York, the United States of America; Riyadh, Saudi Arabia; Berlin, Germany; Addis Ababa, Ethiopia; Dakar, Senegal; and Doha, Qatar.

Source: https://punchng.com/MDAs-Presidency-spend-N1.9bn-on-trips-training-in-France

And helinues no chop sleep ? 🤣🤣🤣

As usual!

I have this iPhone 12promax for sale 128gb very neat bh is 80% price is 650k

IGWEbigorty1:
And helinues no chop sleep ? 🤣🤣🤣

You chop sleep? Person wey go feed your family for 1 year??

Lol, this APC/Tinibu govt,

Can Tinibu and his m1screants Fans list any Achievement since he forced himself into Aso Rock?

adenigga:
Source: https://punchng.com/MDAs-Presidency-spend-N1.9bn-on-trips-training-in-France

Just as his master plan for IGR increases without matching increases in civil service numbers to improve common utilities, facilities and services has wrecked Lagosians into Bourdillon beggars, so also APC clueless mismanagement and corruption have increased the shege of extreme poverty and unemployment.

anonimi:
The eyesore on Bourdillon Road
2nd January 2025

Beyond his neighbours, there is something about the sight of people hanging around a president’s residence that does not speak well of his leadership capabilities. Maybe no one has nudged him to see it, but the impression that spectacle on Bourdillon Road generates is that Tinubu enjoys the sight of suffering humans and thrives in—and through— their poverty.

If all these years, impoverished people hang around you and you remain comfortable enough to keep them just so they can be handed tokens of your large heart, then it means you have a pro-poverty mindset. Such a frame of mind is oriented toward cultivating poverty rather than stimulating abundance. That is why he could unproblematically relate the story of his “friend” who went from using five Rolls Royce to a far-less valued car and not consider the import of the nonsense he was saying. That spurious account was an indication that this is a man for whom poverty—of others, not himself—is an ideal.

https://punchng.com/the-eyesore-on-bourdillon-road/

Despite the claims that “I am richer than Osun state”, they still find it difficult to spend their riches as sacrifice to the betterment of the country.

Money they dare not spend as private citizens even if they have it, but once they assume office they spend the nation’s wealth with reckless abandon.

Tochitee:
You chop sleep? Person wey go feed your family for 1 year??

Hmm,
Helinues, a 35 year old MOMMY'S BOY who still eat Free Meals in his Parents house wants to feed another?

Don't FOOL urself plz.

Tochitee:
You chop sleep? Person wey go feed your family for 1 year??

Will he feed his family for one year by giving him location of daily bread palliative distribution? Or how else?

Glimpsetv:
A large crowd of Lagosians was filmed in a long queue struggling to collect a loaf of bread. To maintain order, several military personnel were on the ground to control the crowd. This has triggered a lot of reactions online.

Watch the video, share your thoughts in the comments.


https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zYltMapDyIo?si=0-hO0Vt5C9uBxVd1

Even when you spend a trillion no one cares you know why because everybody his or her own President taking care of his or her own .

Terrible and wicked government

France just dey enjoy for this administration

Zombies cannot see this now

They are hunting for Doyin Okupe news and how to hang it on Obi and his supporters

Same zombies that call Osinbajo Judas for just picking form as a sitting VP
Same ones that call Fubara Judas for looking to assert himself in the office he occupies
Those are the clowns preaching respect for the dead

If you ask me, this wasnt necessary but hey this is Nigeria.

1.9B? Omo

King of corruption …when I remember how some delusional fools placed their hopes in this man saying it will favor them, I burst out laughing

adenigga:
Source: https://punchng.com/MDAs-Presidency-spend-N1.9bn-on-trips-training-in-France

Bleeding the country daily is the hall mark of this administration

Waste of fx.

Sheuns:


Despite the claims that “I am richer than Osun state”, they still find it difficult to spend their riches as sacrifice to the betterment of the country.

Money they dare not spend as private citizens even if they have it, but once they assume office they spend the nation’s wealth with reckless abandon.

U mean their looting, tell us any known business before they dived into politics

Tax payers left the group chat 🤭

"Tinubu will handle the money as a first class account while Shetima as a security expert will hand security"

Rather what we are dealing with are kleptomaniac and terror sympathetizer

APC is raping Nigeria front and back with reckless abandon

Meaningless things that have no effect on the common man

The people defend the politicians, the politicians flex with side chicks and their families. Living a life out of the sweat of the masses
Democracy, government, remains the biggest scam of humanity.

They keep spending on frivolities with taxpayers money while the masses are drenched in severe hardships and hunger 🤒

And they said

Lagos landlord isn't there for d money
#remi tinubu

Tochitee:
You chop sleep? Person wey go feed your family for 1 year??

You think say everybody wey dey here na lazy Yoruba person? Chop sleep indeed

The prodigal President.

adenigga:
Source: https://punchng.com/MDAs-Presidency-spend-N1.9bn-on-trips-training-in-France

Lat i checked PUNCH na media Company and not AUDIT, na PUNCH AUDIT MDAS accnt for 2024? who gave the FIGURES?

This is only an issue because of the larger context.

A government preaching sacrifice and austerity on the part of the masses should be at the forefront of cost cutting.

Spending on the 1st lady is an unnecessary expense.

Travelling for personal reasons on government bill should be a no, no...