The Federal Government has expended approximately N701 million over three months on the foreign trips of the First Lady, Remi Tinubu, to five countries.
According to GovSpend, a civic tech platform that monitors federal spending, a total of N700,707,532 was disbursed for these trips, which included visits to two African nations.
Details of the expenditures include:
- November 17, 2023: N77,659,888 was allocated through the State House headquarters transit account for foreign exchange ($94,314) for the First Lady’s trip to the United States.
- February 24, 2024: N149,794,284 was spent on foreign exchange ($152,831) for her trip to France on January 4, 2024.
- March 15, 2024: N202,386,198 was used for foreign exchange ($126,834) for the trip to Mozambique.
- March 15, 2024: On the same day, N144,571,785 was spent on foreign exchange ($96,118) for her visit to Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, on February 9, 2024.
- March 2024: N126,295,377 was used for foreign exchange ($83,967) for her trip to London.
Additionally, the government spent N314,231,472 on six programmes for the First Lady over four months:
- May 24, 2024: N131,921,786 was paid to Rock of Ages Total Events Centre Ltd for decorations at State House events related to the First Lady’s programmes for women, youth, and children.
- May 29, 2024: N107,630,000 was disbursed to Makeway Nigeria Limited for multimedia and related services during these programmes.
Overall, the total expenditure on the First Lady’s trips and programmes amounts to N1,014,939,004 over seven months.
Punch’s report, based on GovSpend data, highlights that in 2023, the Federal Government also allocated N1.5 billion for vehicles for the Office of the First Lady. However, former Senate Chief Whip Ali Ndume asserted that this budget was intended for the Presidency, not specifically for the First Lady’s office.
In response to the spending, the Centre for Anti-Corruption and Open Leadership (CACOL) criticized the expenditures, noting that the Office of the First Lady is not constitutionally recognized, making such appropriations inappropriate. CACOL’s Executive Director, Debo Adeniran, called the spending a misappropriation of funds, attributing it to the National Assembly’s failure to perform its oversight duties.
Adeniran argued that the excessive spending undermines public trust in government promises and exacerbates current hardships. He emphasized the need for constitutional adherence and public vigilance in holding the government accountable for its financial decisions.
