President Bola Tinubu has banned all foreign trips by government ministers and officials for three months, according to a letter from the Chief of Staff, Femi Gbajabiamila.
The letter, dated Thursday, March 2024, was addressed to the Secretary to the Government of the Federation, George Akume.
It stated that Tinubu has imposed a 90-day ban on public-funded foreign trips, effective April 2024.
“Considering the current economic challenges and the need for responsible fiscal management, 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 (3) months from April 2024,” the letter reads.
The temporary ban, according to the letter, aims at cost reduction in governance and is intended as a cost-saving measure without compromising government functions.
The ban also stipulates that exemptions would need presidential approvals, which must be sought two weeks ahead of the planned trip.
“All government officials who intend to go on any public funded international trips must seek and obtain presidential approval at least two (2) weeks prior to embarking on any such trip, which must be deemed absolutely necessary.”
This development follows President Tinubu’s earlier directive in January to curtail the size of delegations for both local and foreign trips.
Tinubu, under this directive, stipulated that delegations for local travel should be limited to 25 individuals and 20 for international engagements.
The president also ordered a reduction in the number of accompanying security agents.
He stated that security agents based at his destinations should be regularly deployed for his protection whenever he travels to states instead of being accompanied by numerous security agents from the capital, Abuja.
“That number will be cut down to five in the case of the First Lady. Additionally, the number in the entourage on official international trips for the Vice President will be cut to five, the number that will be placed as a limit on the wife of the Vice President is also five,” Ajuri Ngelale, the spokesperson for the president, stated.
