Bola Tinubu, the President, has put a stop to public funded foreign trips for ministers, agency leaders, and other government officials.
The ban will start on April 1, 2024, and will initially last for three months.
This information was communicated in a letter dated March 12, 2024, signed by the President's Chief of Staff, Femi Gbajabiamila, and addressed to the Secretary to the Government of the Federation, George Akume.
In January, Tinubu instructed to reduce the number of people accompanying him on both local and foreign trips, with a maximum of 25 for local travels and 20 for international trips.
Additionally, he directed that his protection should be provided by security agents at his destination instead of having numerous security personnel from Abuja.
This followed the challenges he encountered during and after the last twenty-eighth Conference of Parties (COP28) in the United Arab Emirates, which was attended by about 590 Nigerian officials. backlash Responding to the public reaction, the government stated that it funded only a fraction of the 590 individuals in the delegation.
The letter stating the ban highlighted, “The President has concerns about the escalating travel costs incurred by Ministries, Department and Agencies of Government and the increasing need for cabinet members and heads of MDAs to concentrate on their respective mandates for efficient service delivery. 422 “Given the current economic challenges and the necessity for responsible fiscal management, I am writing to convey the President’s instruction to temporarily halt all public funded international trips for all Federal Government officials at all levels, for an initial period of three months from April 1, 2024.”
The ban, as per the letter, was aimed at cutting costs in governance.
It further stated, “This temporary measure is aimed at reducing costs in governance and is intended as a cost-saving step without compromising government functions.”
Tinubu specified that government officials planning to go on any public funded foreign trip must obtain presidential approval at least two weeks in advance, and it must be ‘deemed absolutely necessary’.
It added, “All government officials intending to go on any public funded international trips must seek and receive Presidential approval at least two weeks before the trip, which must be considered absolutely necessary.”
President Bola Tinubu has put a ban on ministers, agency heads, and other government officials from embarking on public funded foreign trips. The ban will last for three months initially and will take effect on April 1, 2024. This information was outlined in a letter dated March 12, 2024, signed by the Chief of […]
It added, “All government officials who intend to go on any public funded international trips must seek and obtain Presidential approval at least two weeks prior to embarking on any such trip, which must be deemed absolutely necessary.”
