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President Bola Tinubu’s frequent trips outside the country, which are reportedly about 30, has attracted comments from many Nigerians, who view the constant trips as jamboree and waste of resources at a period the nation is experiencing serious crisis occasioned by fuel subsidy removal and floating of the naira by the current administration.
It will be recalled that the president started his official travels in June 2023, a few weeks after he took the oath of office.
His media team was quoted to have said that the purpose of the numerous travels was to strengthen Nigeria’s position on the global stage, foster economic growth, and address some of the country’s other challenges.
However, data from GovSpend, a BudgIT Foundation analytics platform, revealed that between February 21 and July 19, Tinubu spent N2, 346,623,000 on foreign trips.
Since then the expenditures incurred on foreign trips have increased because the President had embarked on several trips since July.
Critics have, however, raised the alarm that the frequent foreign travels by the President have not yielded commensurable results to benefit Nigerians at a time they are facing excruciating pains owing to the policies of the government.
They hold that the humongous amount of money expended on the foreign trips could have been better spent in fixing the nation’s infrastructures.
Critics’ positions
Comrade Emeka Nkwoala, Delta State chairman of Zenith Labour Party (ZLP), has said that the trips are just a jamboree.
He believes that Nigeria only needs a home grown solution to her myriad of challenges, saying that President Tinubu should sit at home and face these issues squarely.
He said: “This travels are just jamborees. That’s not what is needed. We need a home grown solution to our myriads of challenges.
Our President should sit at home and face these issues squarely. Nigeria ought to benefit from foreign direct investment (FDI) but that is not happening because the local investors in the country are not smiling. They consult them (intended investors), and their stories are not funny.
“They face challenges of insecurity, high and multiple taxation; high and unreliable energy cost, volatility of the foreign exchange, inconsistent government policies and lack of government patronage, the list goes on.
“President Bola Ahmed Tinubu must stop these travels and take up the task of nation’s building vigorously. He should also end hunger and hardship in the land, especially since the sudden removal of fuel subsidies.”
Also, Chief Nkereuwem Udofia Akpan, a human rights activist and constitutional lawyer, says though there’s a Constitutional limit as to how long the President can be away from office without handing over to the Vice President, there’s no limit as to how many trips he can make abroad within a particular time frame.
“But here is the deal, incessant travels fuels the rumour mills that he is unwell. Unless his handlers find a plausible explanation for the prolonged trips, then we are in for a constitutional crisis sooner or later,” Akpan said.
A don at the University of Lagos, Professor Christopher Anyokwu, in his reaction, said: “Like every right-thinking Nigerian, I know his travels are not likely to do much by way of attracting FDI, inter alia.
“Frankly, the less said the better. I’m utterly disappointed in this government as things stand.”
His counterpart at the Delta State University, Abraka, Dr Boniface Chukwuma Anyanwu (Associate Professor), has also said that it’s only right that he travels for the benefit of justifying the CIA and its interest.
He added: “But, what can possibly be relevant and beneficial from the travels that we’re not seeing from the beginning? About 30 times in about 30 months in office, and no sign of anything positive; why would Nigerians expect anything?
“Can anything good come out of Nazareth? That question came from the Holy Book. Something more than good eventually came from Nazareth, you know.
“But again, with the American CIA declaring the traveller as an asset or what was the word again, it’s only right that he travels for the benefit of justifying the CIA and its interest.”
Presidency reacts
But the Presidency has consistently maintained that the President needed to move around the world in search of foreign direct Investments (FDI) and to re-establish the nation as the premium economic powerhouse in Africa.
In his response to the many criticisms against Tinubu’s frequent travels, the Special Adviser to the President on Media and Public Communication, Mr Sunday Dare, said: “Such criticisms are misplaced and unfair.
“Part of the job of a President is to travel to important global meetings to interact with other leaders at bilateral and multilateral levels. The President is the diplomat-in-chief and marketer-in-chief of the country. He represents Nigeria and Nigeria must never be missing at the table.
“The president’s foreign trips have brought important benefits to the country. The Prime Minister just visited last Sunday on his way to the G20 Summit in Rio.
“The last time an Indian PM visited Nigeria was 2007. India is now the 4th largest economy in the world and one of the top trading partners of our country.
“The Indian PM invited President Tinubu to the G20 Summit last year and the government attracted $14bn dollars investment from Indian businessmen.”
He added: “Some of these investments are in Nigeria and at the meeting in Nigeria on Sunday; the PM further assured the remaining commitments will soon be implemented.
“On this current trip to the G20 Summit in Brazil, the Ministry of Agriculture signed on behalf of the Federal Government $1.2bn deal on food security that will advance private sector development in fertiliser production, hybrid seed technology and agric financing.
“The deal is between the Federal Government and the Brazilian government. The job of a President is not only to stay in the office. A president must go out to market his country, to promote investment climate, people to people diplomacy and generate goodwill abroad.
“These things can only happen when he embarks on these diplomatic shuttles. They are very important and essential for national development and progress.
“President Tinubu gets invited for State Visits and Official Visits by world leaders because of Nigeria’s preeminent role in Africa and world affairs.”
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