Nigeria's Presidency spent N37.64 billion on travel-related expenses between June 2023 and April 2026, according to records published by GovSpend, an accountability platform that monitors public expenditure in Nigeria. The disclosure comes as President Bola Tinubu departed for a three-week vacation in Europe on Sunday, August 30, marking his 52nd foreign trip since taking office in May 2023.
Breakdown of Travel Expenditure by Year
The GovSpend data shows a breakdown of spending across the period: N9.19 billion was spent in the second half of 2023, N25.27 billion in 2024, N2.71 billion in 2025, and N477.45 million between January and April 2026. Spending peaked in 2024, driven largely by foreign-exchange allocations and substantial funding directed at the Presidential Air Fleet.
The figures cover presidential trips, associated logistics, foreign-exchange transactions, and other travel-related costs. In 2023 alone, several payments were processed on June 23 totalling over N150 million for "presidential trips and other related expenses," with the Presidential Air Fleet receiving N2 billion and N713.22 million in foreign-exchange funding during August.
Tinubu's 51 Trips and 261 Days Abroad
Since taking office on May 29, 2023, President Bola Tinubu has undertaken 51 foreign trips, visited at least 30 countries, and spent about 261 days outside Nigeria. France has been his most visited destination, followed by the United Kingdom and the United Arab Emirates. His travels have included state visits, international summits, bilateral engagements, investment meetings, and working vacations.
The latest trip, a three-week vacation to Europe beginning Sunday, August 30, with London as the first stop, brings his total to 52 foreign trips. Presidential spokesman Bayo Onanuga said Tinubu is expected to return in time to campaign ahead of the January 2027 elections. The Presidency did not release his full European itinerary. Special Adviser Sunday Dare, speaking to journalists at the airport, described the trip as a well-earned break that would allow the President to "refuel" before a demanding campaign season.
First Lady's Travel Costs and Legal Questions
Foreign-exchange records from GovSpend also show that $553,884 was released for overseas trips by First Lady Oluremi Tinubu between 2023 and 2024, covering visits to the United States, Mozambique, Ethiopia, the United Kingdom, and France. At the exchange rates applied when the funds were purchased, the total naira value came to N700.71 million.
Transparency and Accountability Group president Ayo Ologun questioned the legal basis for the spending, noting that the Office of the First Lady has no statutory recognition. "Because her office is not recognised by the law, and there is nothing like the office of the wife of the President... if it is established that public money was spent on supposed official travels, the question should be: what is the duty?" he said. He called for a full investigation and urged Nigerians to demand accountability over the source and legal authority for such expenditures.
Atiku Faults Tinubu's Departure
Former Vice President Atiku Abubakar, now a presidential candidate, criticised the timing of the trip. "Nigeria is burning, and the President has chosen a boarding pass over the fire extinguisher," he wrote on his social media accounts on Sunday, citing high petrol prices, food insecurity, and rising transport costs as reasons the President's presence was needed at home.
The Presidency has not responded to the criticism, but the trip is expected to last three weeks, with Tinubu returning to campaign ahead of the January 2027 elections. The full itinerary remains undisclosed, and the GovSpend records continue to fuel public debate over the scale and justification of presidential travel spending.
