Any minister who plans to take any “necessary” overseas excursions using public monies, according to Tinubu, must request his clearance at least two weeks in advance of the trip.
President Bola Tinubu has forbade his ministers and other government officials from traveling abroad on publicly financed vacations in an effort to cut down on the expense of government.
The three-month prohibition will begin on April 1, 2024, and it will end on that day.
Femi Gbajabiamila, the President’s Chief of Staff, disclosed this development in a letter to George Akume, the Secretary to the Government of the Federation.
“Mr. President is concerned about the growing amount of money that government departments, agencies, and ministries must pay for travel expenses, as well as the expanding
Members of the cabinet and MDA leaders must concentrate on their individual responsibilities in order to provide services effectively.
“I am writing to communicate Mr. President’s directive to place a temporary ban on all public-funded international trips for all Federal Government officials at all levels, for an initial period of three months from April 1, 2024, in light of the current economic challenges and the need for responsible fiscal management.”
The letter further stipulated that government representatives must apply for and receive presidential approval at least two weeks prior to departing on any overseas trip that is sponsored by public funds.
The president states that these journeys must be “deemed absolutely necessary.”
“Any government official planning to travel abroad with funds from the public must look for and
get presidential approval—which must be judged necessary—at least two weeks before leaving on any such trip, according to the letter.
Following a workshop in the United Kingdom with commissioners of finance from each of the 36 federation states and other government officials, Oluwatoyin Madein, the Accountant General of the Federation, issued the directive to the President.
Following the course, which took place from March 4–9, 2024, at the Copthorne Tara Hotel in Kensington, London, Nigerians chastised Madein for holding the training in the UK during a period when their nation’s economy is severely contracting.
You may also remember that in January, President Tinubu whittled down his entourage to 20 people as part of his cost-cutting measures and pushed his group to follow suit.
Following the blowback from the most recent Conference of Parties (COP28) in the United Arab Emirates, the president took action.
