President Bola Ahmed Tinubu has spent approximately 261 days outside Nigeria on foreign trips since assuming office in May 2023, with government expenditure records indicating that more than ₦37.64 billion was spent on presidential travel and related expenses between June 2023 and April 2026.
The figures come as the President embarks on another three-week vacation in Europe after departing Abuja on Sunday, August 30. London, United Kingdom, was identified as his first destination, although the Presidency has not disclosed the full itinerary for the holiday.
Tinubu has now undertaken 52 foreign trips since becoming president, according to the travel records and flight data referenced in the report.
His spokesman, Bayo Onanuga, said the President would return to Nigeria after the vacation to participate in preparations ahead of the January 2027 elections.
Presidency Spends ₦37.64bn on Travel-Related Expenses
An analysis of government spending records by GovSpend, an accountability platform that monitors public expenditure in Nigeria, put the total presidential travel-related expenditure between June 2023 and April 2026 at ₦37,639,227,853.51.
The expenditure was broken down as follows:
- June–December 2023: ₦9.18 billion
- 2024: ₦25.27 billion
- 2025: ₦2.71 billion
- January–April 2026: ₦477.45 million
The highest expenditure occurred in 2024, when the Presidency recorded more than ₦25.26 billion in travel-related spending.
The records include expenses associated with presidential trips, logistics, foreign exchange transactions and the Presidential Air Fleet.
Shortly after Tinubu assumed office, several payments were made in June 2023 for “presidential trips and other related expenses,” with the transactions running into hundreds of millions of naira.
Further payments were recorded in subsequent months for foreign exchange allocations and other travel-related requirements involving the Presidential Air Fleet.
By September 2023, four separate transactions of about ₦197.69 million each were reportedly processed, with each linked to a $1 million allocation for presidential trips.
One notable transaction later in the year was a payment of ₦114.24 million to Hinterland Travel & Tours Limited for flight tickets.
51 Foreign Trips Before Latest Vacation
Before embarking on his latest holiday, Tinubu had reportedly made 51 foreign trips and visited at least 30 countries, spending about 261 days outside Nigeria.
France and London have featured prominently on his travel itinerary, while the United Arab Emirates has also been among his frequent destinations.
His overseas engagements have included state visits, international summits, bilateral meetings, investment forums, diplomatic engagements and private or working vacations.
In 2023, Tinubu’s foreign engagements included trips to France, Guinea-Bissau, Kenya, Benin, India, the United Arab Emirates, the United States, Germany and Saudi Arabia.
He also travelled to France for a state visit in November before proceeding to Dubai for the COP28 climate conference.
In 2024, his international itinerary included France, Ethiopia, Qatar, Senegal, the Netherlands, Saudi Arabia, the United Kingdom, Chad, South Africa, Ghana, Equatorial Guinea, China and other destinations.
His 2025 travels included engagements in Ghana, the UAE, Tanzania, France, Ethiopia, the United Kingdom, Vatican City, Saint Lucia, Brazil and Japan.
Tinubu’s 2026 Foreign Travels
The President also spent considerable time outside Nigeria in 2026.
Records cited in the report showed that he spent 22 days abroad in January, including about 10 days in France as part of his end-of-year vacation.
He subsequently visited the UAE for Abu Dhabi Sustainability Week and travelled to Türkiye for a state visit, where Nigeria and Türkiye reportedly signed nine agreements covering sectors including trade, energy, media and higher education.
Tinubu also visited the United Kingdom in March, where he oversaw the signing of a £746 million deal aimed at modernising the Apapa and Tin Can Island ports.
In May, he travelled through France, Kenya and Rwanda for a series of international engagements, including the Africa-France Summit and Africa CEO Forum.
Presidency Defends Tinubu’s Latest Vacation
The Presidency has defended the President’s latest three-week holiday, describing it as a necessary opportunity for him to rest and prepare for the demanding political period ahead of the 2027 elections.
Special Adviser to the President on Media and Public Communication, Sunday Dare, said Tinubu deserved the break after months of handling issues of governance, particularly security and the economy.
“The President is proceeding on a well-deserved leave,” Dare said.
He explained that the President’s vacation would come as political activities begin to intensify ahead of the 2027 elections.
“At this point, the campaign season has just started. We have four, five months of serious campaigning; of course, governance will continue,” he stated.
Dare also stressed that Tinubu would remain informed about developments in Nigeria throughout his vacation.
“At this point, it’s important that the President also refuels and even though he’s going on leave, we know that he’ll be engaged with state matters on a daily basis,” he said.
According to the presidential aide, Tinubu would continue receiving updates from members of his administration and the country’s security leadership while abroad.
“He will receive briefings from his ministers, from the service chiefs as the case may be, and from every other person who is handling very key decisions in our country,” Dare added.
The latest trip has nevertheless renewed attention on the frequency of the President’s overseas engagements and the amount of public funds reportedly spent on presidential travel since the beginning of his administration.
