Tinubu’s wife spends N700 Million on Foreign Trips Despite Pledges to set good example
Oluremi Tinubu, the wife of President Bola Tinubu, has reportedly spent over N700 million on foreign trips to five countries, including two African nations, in recent months. This spending comes at a time when citizens are facing significant economic hardship. According to GovSpend, a civic tech platform that tracks and analyzes government spending, the government paid N700,707,532 over six months to cover the First Lady’s trips.
In July, Oluremi Tinubu gained attention for unveiling a vegetable garden at the State House as part of her contribution to the national food drive. She pledged to be “a good example” by demonstrating self-sufficiency. “This little garden will provide healthy vegetables for my household, and I will also share with my staff. The solution to any problem lies in everyone contributing their quota,” she said.
Despite her domestic efforts, government funds were used to sponsor her trips to the United States, France, the UK, Mozambique, and Ethiopia. On November 17, 2023, N77,659,888 was released for foreign exchange for her trip to the U.S., followed by N149,794,284 for her trip to France in early 2024. Additionally, N126.295 million was spent on her trip to London in March 2024, N144.571 million for Ethiopia in February 2024, and N202.386 million for Mozambique in March 2024. The exchange rate for these transactions was approximately N1,504 per dollar.
In addition to the travel expenses, N314,231,472 was spent on six of the First Lady’s programs within four months. This included N131,921,786 paid to Rock of Ages Total Events Centre Ltd for State House event decorations, and N107,630,000 paid to Makeway Nigeria Limited for multimedia services for programs targeting women, youth, and children. Altogether, government spending on the First Lady’s trips and programs over seven months totals N1,014,939,004.
