President Bola Tinubu’s Frequent Foreign Travels Raise Concerns
In the past 18 months, Tinubu and Vice President Kashim Shettima have taken 43 trips across 28 countries, with the President visiting 17 countries on 30 occasions.
Recent criticisms of Tinubu’s foreign travel have grown louder, particularly with the President currently in France for a state visit.
The National Deputy Youth Leader of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Timothy Osadolor, is one of the critics who has expressed concern about Tinubu’s excessive travel habits.
Osadolor argues that the President prioritizes international travel over addressing pressing domestic issues, stating that “instead of globetrotting, he should be cutting waste and developing the country’s economy.”
The youth leader also wonders why funds spent on these trips can’t be better utilized to address the unemployment crisis facing thousands of Nigerian youths.
“These taxpayer’s funds could set up small-scale industries to employ 10,000 youths, increase production, and contribute to the nation’s growth,” Osadolor suggests.
Not only opposition parties have raised concerns, but the New Nigeria Peoples Party has also spoken out against Tinubu’s frequent travels abroad.
National Publicity Secretary, Ladipo Johnson, has expressed reservations about the trend, citing concerns about the potential economic benefits of the President’s travels.
Johnson worries that “at the end of the day, we will see his scorecard when they mark his papers by May next year. Then we can see the result of what he has invested so much in travelling and what has come out of it.”
On the other hand, the presidential spokesman, Sunday Dare, defended the President’s international travel, saying that as the country’s chief marketer, Tinubu must attend important international events to secure direct investments and promote the nation’s interests.
“He needs to make a strong pitch for Nigeria and interact with other presidents, investors, and international organisations to advance the country’s critical sectors,” Dare emphasized.
The Presidential Spokesman also argued that Tinubu’s travels are crucial for the country’s development, stating that they are not mere junkets, but rather important events for Nigeria’s progress.
