In their 17 months in office, Bola Tinubu and Kashim Shettima have made 41 trips across 26 countries, spending a combined 180 days equivalent to six months on international engagements.
A breakdown shows that Tinubu, with more travel time, spent 124 days abroad, visiting 16 countries on 29 trips and logging over 127 flight hours.
His destinations include Malabo (Equatorial Guinea), London (UK – four times), Bissau (Guinea-Bissau – twice), Nairobi (Kenya), Porto-Novo (Benin Republic), The Hague (Netherlands), Pretoria (South Africa), Accra (Ghana), New Delhi (India), Abu Dhabi and Dubai (UAE), New York (USA), Riyadh (Saudi Arabia – twice), Berlin (Germany), Addis Ababa (Ethiopia), Dakar (Senegal), and Doha (Qatar).
On the other hand, Shettima has spent 56 days abroad, visiting 10 countries on 12 trips, and accumulated over 93 flight hours.
So far, Shettima has visited Rome (Italy), St. Petersburg (Russia), Johannesburg (South Africa), Havana (Cuba), Beijing (China), Iowa and New York (USA), Davos (Switzerland), Yamoussoukro (Ivory Coast – twice), Nairobi (Kenya), and Stockholm (Sweden).
Tinubu’s international engagements began on June 20, 2023, three weeks after taking office. His first trip as President was to Paris, France, where he attended the Paris Summit for the New Global Financial Pact during a four-day visit. This marked his return to the city, which he last visited as President-elect.
On Saturday, June 24, Tinubu left Paris for London, United Kingdom, where he held private talks with his predecessor, Muhammadu Buhari, spending three days.
From July 8 to 10, he visited Guinea-Bissau to participate in the 63rd Ordinary Session of the Authority of Heads of State and Government of the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS), where he was appointed Chairman of the regional bloc.
As Chairman of ECOWAS, Tinubu attended the fifth mid-year coordination meeting of the African Union, Regional Economic Communities, Regional Mechanisms, and African Union Member States in Nairobi, Kenya, from July 15 to 17.
The President’s first ceremonial foreign engagement took place in the Republic of Benin on August 1, 2023, when he attended the country’s 63rd independence anniversary, following an invitation from President Patrice Talon.
Afterwards, he remained in Nigeria for over a month to organise his cabinet of ministers nominated to the Federal Executive Council.
On September 5, he resumed foreign travels in New Delhi, India, where he attended the G-20 Leaders’ Summit from September 10 to 11, at the request of Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi.
Upon leaving India, where he spent a week, the President made a “technical stopover” in Abu Dhabi, the Emirati capital, where he met UAE Leader Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan.
Later in September, President Tinubu spent nine days in New York, USA, attending the 78th United Nations General Assembly, which began on September 19—his first UNGA as President.
Following the UNGA, he traveled to Paris, France, where he stayed for five days before returning to Abuja on September 29, just ahead of Nigeria’s 63rd Independence Day celebration on October 1.
The President remained in the country through October and didn’t travel again until November 9, when he arrived in Saudi Arabia for the Saudi-Africa Summit in Riyadh, which took place the next day.
On November 16, Tinubu departed Saudi Arabia for his second ceremonial event, attending the 50th Independence Anniversary of the Republic of Guinea-Bissau.
Two days later, on November 18, he embarked on his third trip to Europe, where he attended the G20 Compact with Africa Conference hosted by German Chancellor Olaf Scholz in Berlin on November 20. After the conference, he returned to Abuja six days later.
A week after his return from Germany, Tinubu traveled to Dubai, UAE, for the COP28 Climate Summit, returning to Nigeria on December 5.
His next trip began on January 24, 2024, when he went to Paris for a 14-day private visit, returning to Abuja on February 6.
On February 15, President Tinubu traveled to Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, where he spent four days participating in the 37th Ordinary Session of the Assembly of African Union Heads of State and Government.
Next, he visited Doha, Qatar, from February 29 to March 4 on an official trip. On April 2, he joined other African leaders in Dakar, Senegal, for the inauguration of the country’s youngest president, Basirou Faye.
From April 23 to 26, Tinubu was in the Netherlands for a state visit. Afterward, he traveled to Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, to attend the 2024 Special World Economic Forum on Global Collaboration, Growth, and Energy for Development from April 26 to 28.
On April 29, Tinubu flew to London, where he stayed for nine days before returning to Nigeria on May 8, following growing speculation about his whereabouts. Later that month, on May 23, he was in N’Djamena, Chad, for the inauguration of President Idriss Déby Itno.
From June 18 to 20, Tinubu visited Pretoria, South Africa, where he attended the inauguration of President Cyril Ramaphosa and engaged in bilateral talks.
He then spent July 19 to 22 in Accra, Ghana, attending the 6th Mid-Year Coordination Meeting of the African Union. Following that, he made a three-day official visit to Malabo, Equatorial Guinea, from August 14 to 17.
On August 18, Tinubu embarked on his first flight aboard his newly acquired Airbus A330 luxury jet to Paris, France, for a four-day visit, returning to Nigeria in time to swear in the Chief Justice of Nigeria, Justice Kudirat Kekere-Ekun.
President Tinubu resumed his travels on August 29 in Beijing, China, where he held bilateral talks with Chinese President Xi Jinping and later attended the Forum on China-Africa Cooperation. Afterward, he traveled to the UK for a seven-day stay, returning to Nigeria on September 14.
On October 2, following Nigeria’s 64th Independence Day celebration, Tinubu departed Abuja once more for the UK for a two-week working leave. He spent nine days there before heading to Paris, France, for an “important engagement,” according to his Senior Special Assistant on Political and Other Matters, Ibrahim Masari.
Shettima’s Visits
Vice President Shettima, representing Tinubu, was in Rome, Italy, from July 23 to 26, 2023, for the first Stocktaking Moment Summit, themed “Transforming Food Systems for People, Planet, and Prosperity.”
Afterward, Shettima traveled to St. Petersburg, Russia, from July 26 to 29 for the Russia-Africa Summit. He also held bilateral meetings with senior Russian government officials and business leaders to strengthen Nigeria-Russia relations.
On August 21, Vice President Shettima arrived in South Africa to represent President Tinubu at the 15th BRICS Summit of Heads of State and Government, held at the Sandton Convention Centre in Johannesburg from August 22 to 24.
Shettima was also in Havana, Cuba, from September 11 to 18 for the G77+China Leaders’ Summit.
His longest trip abroad lasted 20 days, from October 15 to November 3, when he attended the 3rd Belt and Road Initiative Forum in Beijing, China, from October 16 to 18. On October 22, he arrived in the U.S. for the AfDB World Food Prize-facilitated Norman E. Borlaug International Dialogue in Iowa, which started two days later.
From January 14 to 18, Shettima participated in the 2024 World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland. On February 7, 10, and 11, he traveled to Yamoussoukro, Ivory Coast, to support Nigeria’s national football team, the Super Eagles, in the 2023 Africa Cup of Nations. He attended both the semi-final match against South Africa and the final against the host, Ivory Coast.
Shettima was initially scheduled to represent Tinubu at the US-Africa Business Summit in Dallas, Texas, but returned mid-flight due to a technical issue with his aircraft. Later, he delivered Nigeria’s national statement at the 79th United Nations General Assembly in New York, where he stayed for six days. From October 17 to 19, Shettima visited Stockholm, Sweden, for bilateral talks.
This overlap of travel with Tinubu, where both were out of the country at the same time, sparked backlash from Nigerians. It was the second instance of both leaders being abroad simultaneously since taking office 17 months ago.
In late April to early May 2024, while Tinubu was in London after visiting the Netherlands and Saudi Arabia, Shettima left Nigeria for Kenya, then for Dallas, Texas. However, his Dallas trip was canceled based on advice from the Presidential Air Fleet.
Criticisms trail travels
The Labour Party presidential candidate during the 2023 general elections, Peter Obi, faulted the recent foreign trips, saying they came at a time when the country was grappling with domestic challenges.
Obi maintained that it was disturbing that Tinubu and his deputy were not in the country at a time when citizens needed them the most.
He wrote, “While it is arguable that with Tinubu and Shettima absent from the Villa, there is no vacancy in the Presidency, in a situation where both Tinubu and Shettima are out of the country, as reported in the media yesterday, it’s concerning for a country with such myriads of domestic problems.”
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Obi questioned why Tinubu, reportedly in Paris, about 833 nautical miles from Stockholm, did not attend the bilateral talks.
“He could simply have done it on his way back from France with his new powerful jet, which would have taken him a little over 2 hours.
“This would have saved time and the very scarce national resources we need critically at this time.
“Instead, he delegated the Vice President, who needed to travel 3055 nautical miles, over nine hours, and (about four times the travel time from Paris) Abuja, Nigeria, to Stockholm, Sweden, to represent him at the event,” Obi added.
Justifying the recent trips, the Presidency said Tinubu and Shettima’s absence does not pose a vacuum in Nigeria’s leadership.
It said the two principal officers are “fully engaged with the nation’s affairs, even while away.”
Obi also faulted Tinubu for allegedly extending his 14-day leave.
However, a government official knowledgeable about presidential movements told our correspondent that Tinubu was expected back around the weekend.
The source said, “If you were to calculate the two weeks from October 2, he should be returning on Wednesday, October 16.
“But you only count the working days. Meaning that weekends are out of it. So, he’s supposed to spend 14 working days, which will end by early next week.”
President Tinubu returned to Nigeria on Saturday.
Meanwhile, Auwal Rafsanjani, Executive Director of the Abuja-based Civil Society Legislative Advocacy Centre, told Sunday PUNCH that while foreign trips are part of governance, leaders should focus only on engagements that bring the most value to Nigerians.
Rafsanjani said, “It is important for public officials to understand that the country lacks the resources for trips that don’t offer significant economic benefits. While we can’t ask public officers to stop traveling entirely, they should avoid unnecessary and reckless expenses on some of these trips.”
Debo Adeniran, Executive Chairman of the Centre for Anti-Corruption and Open Leadership, added that such international engagements are crucial for reinforcing Nigeria’s standing in the global community.
He said, “Some of these trips, particularly to the G-20 in India and the BRICS summit in South Africa, were necessary.”
Onanuga noted that these foreign engagements serve as a vital opportunity for the administration to present Nigeria’s vision to the world.
He said, “Those who say those trips are unnecessary need to check what benefits were brought back. For instance, agreements were signed in Dubai on Siemens’ involvement in Nigeria’s power industry.”
The presidential aide declared that Nigerians would see the economic benefit of the engagements in no distant time.
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