Politics

See the Billions of Naira Tinubu Administration Spends on Air Travel

Published by Tope Fakinlede on September 29th, 2024.

See the Billions of Naira Tinubu Administration Spends on Air Travel

Recent data from GovSpend reveals that various ministries and agencies under President Bola Tinubu’s administration have collectively spent at least ₦1.8 billion on air travel, estacodes, and duty tour allowances from July to September 2024.

Key ministries involved in this expenditure include the Federal Ministry of Finance, the Ministry of Police Affairs, the Ministry of Youth Development, the Ministry of Women Affairs, the Ministry of Marine and Blue Economy, the Office of the Auditor General of the Federation, and the Office of the Secretary to the Government of the Federation. Other agencies include the Technical Aid Corps, the Ministry of Communications and Digital Economy, the Ministry of Petroleum Resources, the Nigerian Financial Intelligence Unit, and the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission.

According to reports, these ministries and agencies spent approximately ₦755 million on Duty Tour Allowances and over ₦1 billion on air tickets and foreign travel, bringing the total to ₦1.8 billion by September 26, 2024.

Among the highest spenders were the Ministry of Marine and Blue Economy at ₦322 million, followed by the Ministry of Finance with ₦187.2 million, the ICPC at ₦150 million, and the Ministry of Petroleum Resources at ₦108 million—all within a three-month period.

It is noteworthy that President Tinubu had previously imposed a three-month ban on publicly-funded travel for ministers and agency heads starting April 1, 2024, as outlined in a letter from the Chief of Staff. This measure was intended to curb rising travel costs and ensure officials remained focused on their responsibilities.

Despite the expiration of the ban, some ministries reportedly incurred as much as ₦21 million in travel-related expenses shortly after it ended.

Commenting on this development, Debo Adeniran, Chairman of the Centre for Accountability and Open Leadership, labeled the expenditures as “wasteful,” urging the government to refrain from frivolous spending during these challenging times. He noted that while the Ministry of Marine and Blue Economy might have a justification for its expenses due to its newness, other long-established ministries should not have such high travel costs.

Okechukwu Nwaguma, Executive Director of the Rule of Law Accountability and Advocacy Centre, described the spending as a “misallocation of resources,” calling for stricter policies on travel and government expenditures to ensure public funds are utilized effectively.

Auwal Musa Rafsanjani, Executive Director of the Civil Society Legislative and Advocacy Centre, expressed concern that these travels have not resulted in the foreign direct investments needed for the country’s growth.

Attempts to reach Mohammed Manga, Director of Information and Public Relations for the Ministry of Finance, were unsuccessful, as his phone was off. Olujimi Oyetomi, Director of Press and Public Relations for the Ministry of Marine and Blue Economy, also did not respond to calls.