A recent report has revealed that the Federal Government of Nigeria spent approximately ₦701 million funding foreign trips for the First Lady, Remi Tinubu, over a span of three months.
In 2023, the Federal Government allocated ₦1.5 billion for the procurement of vehicles for the Office of the First Lady as part of a ₦2.1 trillion supplementary budget approved by the National Assembly. This budget also included ₦2.9 billion for sport utility vehicles for the Presidential Villa and an additional ₦2.9 billion to replace operational vehicles for the Presidency.
However, former Senate Chief Whip, Ali Ndume, clarified that the ₦1.5 billion allocated for vehicles was meant for the Presidency at large, not exclusively for the First Lady’s office.
According to a report by Punch, the government disbursed ₦700,707,532 over three months to cover the First Lady’s foreign trips to five countries, including two African nations. The publication used GovSpend, a civic tech platform that monitors federal expenditures, to track these payments.
On November 17, 2023, the State House released ₦77,659,888 (equivalent to $94,314) for the First Lady’s trip to the United States. This was followed by ₦149,794,284 ($152,831) for her trip to France in January 2024, paid on February 24, 2024.
In March 2024, the government further spent ₦202,386,198 ($126,834) on a trip to Mozambique, ₦144,571,785 ($96,118) for a visit to Ethiopia, and ₦126,295,377 ($83,967) for her London trip, all through the State House account.
Additionally, ₦314,231,472 was spent on six of the First Lady’s programs within four months. For instance, on May 24, 2024, Rock of Ages Total Events Centre Ltd was paid ₦131,921,786 for decorations at the State House for her events, which focused on women, youth, and children. Another ₦107,630,000 was paid to Makeway Nigeria Limited on May 29, 2024, for multimedia services at similar programs.
In total, the Federal Government spent ₦1,014,939,004 on the First Lady’s foreign trips and programs over a seven-month period.
