Major opposition parties in Nigeria have voiced strong disapproval over President Bola Tinubu’s frequent international travels, accusing him of prioritizing his globetrotting agenda over addressing critical domestic issues.
In the 18 months since his inauguration, Tinubu and Vice President Kashim Shettima have embarked on a combined 43 trips across 28 countries. The President himself has visited 17 countries on 30 different occasions, raising concerns among political critics. Currently, he is in France for a state visit, which has intensified opposition criticism.
Timothy Osadolor, the National Deputy Youth Leader of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), has particularly criticized Tinubu’s foreign visits, calling them excessive and out of touch with the country’s pressing challenges. “He believes more than ever before that being a president is only an exercise in how much you travel across the world,” Osadolor remarked. “He’s busy globetrotting rather than sitting down to cut waste and develop the country’s economy.”
While acknowledging that foreign trips can be beneficial for investment attraction, Osadolor questioned the necessity of such frequent travels, especially when Nigeria already has ministers of trade, investment, and foreign ambassadors who should be handling international business affairs. “Why do you need to travel abroad repeatedly when you have the proper channels and representatives at home?” he asked. “The funds used for these foreign trips could have been better spent on programs to address the high unemployment rate among Nigerian youths.”
Osadolor argued that the large sums of taxpayer money spent on these presidential trips could be redirected to create small-scale industries that could employ thousands of young Nigerians, thus contributing to economic growth and alleviating unemployment. “This humongous taxpayer money being used on these contingents could easily fund the creation of more than 20 small-scale industries that could take over 10,000 youths off the streets of joblessness,” he added.
Ladipo Johnson, the National Publicity Secretary of the New Nigeria Peoples Party (NNPP), also expressed reservations about the President’s frequent travels. He described the pattern of foreign visits as concerning, especially since the expected outcomes—such as increased foreign investments—have yet to materialize. “It is not looking good. We don’t know the resultant effects of his globetrotting. They say it will yield investments, but we haven’t seen it,” Johnson stated. He raised further concerns over the country’s security issues, pointing out that frequent foreign travel may not be addressing the immediate challenges faced by Nigerians.
“The economy doesn’t seem to be turning around, and we have security issues to contend with,” he noted. “At the end of the day, we will see his scorecard when they mark his papers by May next year, which will be the mid-term of his four years. Then we can evaluate the result of his international engagements.”
However, presidential spokesman Sunday Dare defended the President’s international trips, arguing that they are a crucial part of Nigeria’s development strategy. In an interview with TVC, Dare explained that Tinubu, as the country’s “chief marketer,” must be proactive in engaging with other world leaders, investors, and international organizations. “For a country looking for direct investment and trying to pursue a new trajectory in critical sectors of the economy, the president cannot afford to stay idle,” he stated. “He must go out there and speak for this country. He needs to make a strong pitch. The president is the number one spokesperson for his administration.”
Dare emphasized that these foreign trips are far from mere leisure or ceremonial visits. He stressed that they are essential for fostering international relations, attracting investment, and strengthening Nigeria’s position on the global stage. “These trips aren’t junkets. They are critical for the country’s development,” Dare concluded, reiterating the importance of the President’s global engagements in securing Nigeria’s future.
Despite the defense from the presidency, the debate over the effectiveness and necessity of President Tinubu’s frequent foreign trips is likely to continue, particularly as Nigeria grapples with pressing domestic issues such as unemployment, economic challenges, and security concerns.
