The Federal Government of Nigeria has allotted approximately ₦9.36 billion for the travel and refreshment expenses of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu and Vice President Kashim Shettima in the 2025 budget.
This allocation was detailed in the 2025 Appropriation Bill presented to the National Assembly, which outlines a total budget proposal of ₦49.7 trillion, dubbed the ‘Restoration Budget: Securing Peace and Building Prosperity’.
The breakdown reveals that ₦7.44 billion is designated for President Tinubu’s travel and refreshments, while ₦1.9 billion is allocated for Vice President Shettima’s similar expenses.
Specifically, international travel for the president is expected to cost around ₦6.14 billion, with local trips amounting to ₦873.9 million. ₦431.6 million has been set aside for meals and catering supplies during these trips.
For Vice President Shettima, international travel is projected at ₦1.31 billion, complemented by local travel costs of ₦417.5 million and refreshments budgeted at ₦186.02 million.
In recent months, the expenses incurred by President Tinubu, Vice President Shettima, and First Lady Remi Tinubu have already reached over ₦5.24 billion for local and international travel alone, raising concerns about fiscal responsibility at a time when many Nigerians are facing economic hardships.
Moreover, the proposed budget also includes allocations for vehicles, fuel, honorarium, and office construction totaling ₦4.76 billion, alongside ₦5.94 billion for honorarium and fuel costs related to special advisers and assistants.
This substantial allocation has sparked criticism from various quarters, including the Socio-Economic Rights and Accountability Project (SERAP), which has called for a reduction in these budgets amid Nigeria’s ongoing economic challenges. SERAP argues that such funds could be better utilized to address pressing issues like the country’s growing budget deficit. They have urged lawmakers to reconsider these expenditures, emphasizing that unnecessary spending by government officials undermines public trust.
Many citizens of the country have also expressed their discontent on social media platforms, questioning the rationale behind such lavish expenditures while many Nigerians face daily struggles to meet basic needs.
