Over a span of three months, the Federal Government spent approximately N701 million to cover the foreign trips of First Lady Remi Tinubu to five countries, according to Headlinenews.
In 2023, the Federal Government allocated N1.5 billion for the purchase of vehicles for the Office of the First Lady, as part of the N2.1 trillion supplementary budget approved by the National Assembly. The budget breakdown also shows plans to spend N2.9 billion on sport utility vehicles for the Presidential Villa and another N2.9 billion for replacing operational vehicles for the Presidency. However, former Senate Chief Whip, Ali Ndume, argued that the N1.5 billion allocation was meant for the Presidency, not specifically for the First Lady’s office.
Checks by our correspondent via GovSpend, a civic tech platform tracking government expenditures, revealed that the government disbursed N700,707,532 over three months for the First Lady’s trips to five countries, including two in Africa.
On November 17, 2023, the government released N77,659,888 for foreign exchange ($94,314) for the First Lady’s trip to the United States. On February 24, 2024, N149,794,284 was spent on foreign exchange ($152,831) for her trip to France in January 2024. For a March 2024 trip to Mozambique, N202,386,198 ($126,834) was paid on March 15. On the same day, N144,571,785 ($96,118) was allocated for a February trip to Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, while another N126,295,377 ($83,967) covered a February visit to London.
Additionally, the government spent N314,231,472 on six First Lady-related programs over four months. On May 24, 2024, Rock of Ages Total Events Centre Ltd received N131,921,786 for decorating State House events related to the First Lady’s programs for women, youth, and children. Five days later, on May 29, N107,630,000 was paid to Makeway Nigeria Limited for multimedia services during these programs. Altogether, government spending on the First Lady’s trips and programs amounted to N1,014,939,004 over seven months.
Reacting to these expenditures, the Centre for Anti-Corruption and Open Leadership (CACOL) criticized the spending, calling it inappropriate given that the Office of the First Lady is not constitutionally recognized. CACOL Executive Director Debo Adeniran stated that the National Assembly’s complacency has enabled unchecked spending on frivolous items, adding, “It is more than profligacy; it is actually a misappropriation of funds because the office of the First Lady doesn’t exist in our constitution.”
Adeniran further emphasized that the government’s spending priorities leave Nigerians skeptical about promises to alleviate hardship, stating, “They spend on frivolities rather than on things that will improve the lives of the people.”
Eze Onyekper, Director of the Centre for Social Justice, echoed similar concerns, stating that there is no law supporting the Office of the First Lady. He added that using public funds for such activities is “grossly illegal” and an abuse of office unless privately funded.
