President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, (Right), Mr Festus Keyamo, Aviation & Aerospace Development Minister
Beginning from the 1st of April 2024, no Minister of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, heads of Ministries, Departments and Agencies, MDA, will embark on any international trips with government funds until the next 90 days.
President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, ordered the ban on foreign trips via a memo dated 12th March 2024, signed by the Chief of Staff, CoS, to the president, Femi Gbajabiamila, and addressed to the Secretary to the Government of the Federation, George Akume.
The memo gave the rationale for the ban that President Tinubu was concerned about the rising cost of foreign trips and all the bills such as hotel, and travel allowances, and estacodes, the government will incur in the face of dwindling revenue.
The memo stated inter-alia, “Mr President has concerns about the rising cost of travel expenses borne by Ministries, Department and Agencies of Government as well as the growing need for cabinet members and heads of MDAs to focus on their respective mandates for effective service delivery”.
According to the content of the memo, Mr President also took cognizance of tighter fiscal management by explaining thus, “Considering the current economic challenges and the need for responsible fiscal management, 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 the Ist of April 2024.”
However, the memo contained a proviso should there be a very, strongly compelling reason for a foreign trip. It directed that government officials who intend to go on any publicly funded foreign trip must seek and obtain presidential approval at least two weeks before embarking on any such trip, “which must be deemed absolutely necessary”.
Recall that last January 2024, Mr President issued an order to reduce the number of his entourage on both local and foreign trips. Hence, President Tinubu issued a directive that members of his delegation should not exceed 25 for local travel and 20 for international trips.
The directive also mandated that security agents at the President’s destinations should provide for his protection instead of being accompanied by many security personnel from Abuja.
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