In a move to further cut the cost of governance, President Bola Tinubu has banned ministers, heads of agencies, and other government officials from embarking on public-funded foreign trips, starting from April 1st, 2024.

This directive is contained in an official communication with the Secretary of the Federation signed by the Chief of Staff to the President, Honourable Femi Gbajabiamila dated March 12, 2024, explaining that the decision was made based on the current economic challenges in the country and the need for fiscal management.

The president also raised concern about the need for the cabinet members including the heads of Ministries, Departments, and Agencies in the country to focus more on their mandates for the effective delivery of their responsibilities.

Titled “PRESIDENTIAL DIRECTIVE TO SUSPEND PUBLIC FUNDED FOREIGN TRIPS BY GOVERNMENT OFFICIALS” the memo fully reads:

“The above subject matter refers.

“Mr. President has concerns about the rising cost of travel expenses bone 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.

“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 (3) months from 1st April 2024. This temporary measure is aimed at cost reduction in governance and intended as a cost saving measure without compromising government functions.

“All government officials who intend to go on any public funded international trip. must seek and obtain Presidential approval at least two (2) weeks prior to embarking on any such trip, which must be deemed absolutely necessary.

‘Considering the above, the Office of the Secretary to the Government of the Federation is kindly requested to circulate this directive to all Ministries, Departments and Agencies of government.

Please accept the assurances of my highest regards”

It will be recalled that Nigeria has been grappling with economic challenges since the removal of fuel subsidies by the president on May 29th, 2023 at his inauguration. As a result, there is a persistent rise in the prices of commodities, while the country’s currency has drastically fallen against the Dollar in the foreign exchange, leading to hardship for the citizens.

Consequently, there have been calls from several experts for the need to cut the cost of governance as the country is swinging for balance economically.

On January 9th, 2024 President Bola Tinubu announced a major cost-cutting move in governance, in which he slashed the number of his delegations travelling for both foreign and domestic trips by 60%.

Apart from his delegation, the cost-cutting move, in a statement by the Special Adviser to the President on Media and Publicity, Ajuri Ngelale, further explained that the development would also be applicable to the Vice President, Senator Kashim Shettima, and the First Lady.

Ajuri further stated that “President Bola Tinubu has approved that anywhere he travels within this country he will no longer accept or allow huge security delegations to be following him from Abuja, which attracts massive bills with respect to estacode and duty allowances from now on.

He has approved a massive cost-cutting exercise that will cut across the entire Federal Government of Nigeria and the Offices of the President himself, the Vice President and the Office of the First Lady. It will be conducted in the following fashion. On international trips, the President has directed that no more than 20 individuals be allowed to travel with him.

That number will be cut down to five in the case of the First Lady. Additionally, the number in the entourage on official international trips for the Vice President will be cut to five. The number that will be placed as a limit on the wife of the Vice President is also five.”