In the span of just three months, the Federal Government has reportedly spent over N701 million on foreign trips undertaken by First Lady Remi Tinubu. These trips, covering five different countries, have sparked widespread controversy, with critics questioning the legal basis for such expenditures.
This comes after an earlier allocation of N1.5 billion in the 2023 budget for the procurement of vehicles for the Office of the First Lady, despite the fact that the office itself is not constitutionally recognized. This allocation was part of a N2.1 trillion supplementary budget approved by the National Assembly for that year.
Further scrutiny, via GovSpend—a platform that tracks government expenditure—revealed the substantial payouts for the First Lady’s trips. Among the trips, N77.6 million was spent for a visit to the United States in November 2023, and N149.8 million was used to fund her journey to France in February 2024. Other trips included visits to Mozambique, Ethiopia, and London, with sums ranging between N126 million and N202 million.
In addition to foreign travel costs, the government also spent over N314 million on six programs organized by the First Lady’s office within a four-month period. These included N131.9 million for event decorations and N107.6 million for multimedia services during various events focused on women, youth, and children.
In total, more than N1 billion was spent on both the First Lady’s trips and her programs over a seven-month period.
The Centre for Anti-Corruption and Open Leadership (CACOL) has condemned the expenditures, calling them illegal. Debo Adeniran, Executive Director of CACOL, argued that the Office of the First Lady does not exist in the constitution, making such budgetary allocations unlawful. He criticized the National Assembly for failing in its oversight responsibilities, enabling the misuse of national funds.
“It is more than profligacy; it is misappropriation of funds. The National Assembly’s complacency has allowed the executive to spend on frivolities, violating constitutional dictates,” Adeniran said. He added that such spending undermines the government’s credibility in addressing the economic challenges facing Nigerians.
Eze Onyekper, Director of the Centre for Social Justice, echoed these concerns, emphasizing that no law in Nigeria justifies funding activities related to the First Lady’s office. “If this is being funded by taxpayers’ money, it is clearly illegal and an abuse of office,” Onyekper stated.
The spending spree has fueled public outrage, with many questioning the government’s priorities amid ongoing economic hardship. Critics argue that funds could be better allocated to improving the lives of citizens rather than financing what they deem unnecessary expenses.
