Heads of agencies, ministers, and other government employees are not permitted to travel abroad on official government business, according to President Bola Tinubu.
The first instance of the ban will begin on April 1, 2024, and it will last for three months.This was written in a letter dated March 12, 2024, addressed to George Akume, the Secretary to the Government of the Federation, and signed by the Chief of Staff to President Femi Gbajabiamila.
Tinubu issued an order in January to cut back on the number of people traveling with him both domestically and abroad, specifying that the members of his delegation could not be more than twenty for international travel and twenty for domestic travel.
This followed the criticism he received both during and after the most recent Conference of Parties (COP28), which was held in the United Arab Emirates and was attended by roughly 590 officials from Nigeria.In response to the outcry from the public, the government stated that only 422 of the 590 members of the delegation received funding.
Part of the letter outlining the ban said, “Mr. President has concerns about the growing need for cabinet members and heads of MDAs to focus on their respective mandates for effective service delivery as well as the rising cost of travel expenses borne by Ministries, Departments, and Agencies of Government.”
“I am writing to communicate Mr. Presideni’s directive to place a temporary ban on all public funded international trips for all Federal Government officials at all levels, for an initial period of three months from Ist April 2024,” the statement reads. “Taking into consideration the current economic challenges and the need for responsible fiscal management.”The letter claimed that the ban was intended to lower governance expenses.”
This temporary measure is intended as a cost-saving measure without compromising government functions,” it continued. Its goal is to reduce governance costs.In addition, Tinubu stated that government employees who plan to take any kind of publicly funded overseas trip must apply for and receive presidential approval at least two weeks in advance, and the trip must be “deemed absolutely necessary.
“The statement continued, saying, “Any government official planning a publicly funded overseas trip must apply for and receive presidential approval at least two weeks in advance of the trip, which must be deemed absolutely necessary.”