President Bola Tinubu has imposed a ban on all government officials, including ministers and heads of agencies, prohibiting them from undertaking foreign trips funded by the public. This ban will initially last for three months, starting on April 1, 2024.
A letter dated March 12, 2024, communicated this directive. Femi Gbajabiamila, President’s Chief of Staff, signed the letter to George Akume, Government of the Federation Secretary.
In January, President Tinubu directed to reduce his entourage size on domestic and international trips. He specified that his entourage for local travels should not surpass 25 delegates and 20 for international trips.
President Tinubu directed local security agents at his destination to handle his protection, thus decreasing the necessity for a large Abuja security detail.
In response to COP28 criticism, he made this decision, which affected about 590 Nigerian attendees. In response to the public outcry, the government clarified that it had only funded the travel expenses of 422 out of the 590 delegates.
The ban letter emphasized the president’s worries about the rising travel expenses of Government Ministries, Departments, and Agencies. It also stressed the importance for cabinet members and heads of MDAs to focus on their mandates for effective service delivery.
Due to economic challenges, the letter conveyed the president’s directive to halt publicly funded international trips for Federal Government officials. We set this measure to start on April 1, 2024, and initially last for three months.
The letter further explained that the ban aims to reduce governance costs. It stated, “This temporary measure is aimed at cost reduction in governance and intended as a cost-saving measure without compromising government functions.”
President Tinubu mandated that any government official planning a publicly funded foreign trip must obtain presidential approval two weeks beforehand. We must deem such trips absolutely necessary.
