The alleged expenses incurred in sending Nigeria’s delegates to the COP28 Climate Change Summit in Dubai, United Arab Emirates (UAE), have been unveiled, raising concerns and criticism over the significant delegation size and associated costs.
President Bola Tinubu has faced backlash for the reported 1,411 delegates from Nigeria attending the summit, making it the third-highest delegation, despite the economic challenges attributed to the policies of the Tinubu administration.
Contrary to public perception, the presidency clarified that less than 100 delegates funded by the federal government from various Ministries, Departments, and Agencies (MDAs) were part of the 1,411 total.
BusinessDay reported that out of the 1,411 delegates, 590 were sponsored by the Nigerian government, and the estimated total cost of round-trip flight tickets for these 590 delegates is approximately N885 million. The calculation was based on flight rates from international airline operators.
According to sources in the aviation sector, the federal government typically opts for international flight operators instead of local carriers when attending conferences abroad, despite the availability of local operators with approvals for direct flights to certain countries.
The president is known to utilize one of the 10 Presidential fleets, while the rest of the delegation charters international flights. The cost of maintaining each Presidential aircraft surged by 99.6 per cent to N7.297 billion in 2019.
BusinessDay‘s investigation revealed that the Nigerian delegation comprises the president, seven ministers, the Chief of Staff, five Director-Generals, several Directors, deputy directors, assistant directors, and various officials, including businessman Gilbert Ramex Chagouri, listed among the ministers as ‘Confidante of the President.’
The estacode, or allowance, provided to each traveler varies based on their level. Ministers receive $900 per day, amounting to $11,700 for the 13-day conference. Permanent secretaries receive $600, totaling $7,800 for the same period. Officers in levels 15-17 receive $425, totaling $5,525, levels 7-14 get $381, totaling $4,953, and levels 1-6 receive $206, amounting to $2,678 for the 13 days.
The revelation of these costs has sparked further debate over the allocation of resources and the necessity of such a large delegation at the climate change summit.
