Tinubu, Shettima’s frequent foreign trips raise eyebrows

In their 17 months in office, President Bola Tinubu and Vice President Kashim Shettima undertook 41 trips across 26 countries, collectively spending 180 days or six months on foreign engagements, Sunday PUNCH reports.

Analysis shows that Tinubu, with the longer mileage, has logged 124 days abroad, visiting 16 countries on 29 trips. He has also accumulated over 127 flight hours.

So far, the President has visited Malabo, Equatorial Guinea; London, the United Kingdom (four times); Bissau, Guinea-Bissau (twice); Nairobi, Kenya; Porto Norvo, Benin Republic; The Hague, Netherlands; Pretoria, South Africa; Accra, Ghana; New Delhi, India; Abu Dhabi and Dubai in the United Arab Emirates; New York, the United States of America; Riyadh, Saudi Arabia (twice); Berlin, Germany; Addis Ababa, Ethiopia; Dakar, Senegal and Doha, Qatar.

Meanwhile, Shettima has spent 56 days abroad, visiting 10 countries on 12 unique and recurrent trips. He has also accumulated over 93 flight hours.
Shettima has so far visited Rome, Italy; St. Petersburg, Russia; Johannesburg, South Africa; Havana, Cuba; Beijing, China; Iowa and New York in the United States of America; Davos, Switzerland; Yamoussoukro, Ivory Coast (twice); Nairobi, Kenya and Stockholm, Sweden.

Tinubu’s trips

On June 20, 2023, three weeks after assuming office, Tinubu opened his foreign schedule in Paris, the French capital, the city he last visited as President-elect. The Nigerian leader participated in the Paris Summit for the New Global Financial Pact during his four-day stay.
On Saturday, June 24, Tinubu departed Paris for London, the United Kingdom, for private talks with his predecessor, Muhammadu Buhari, spending three days.

From July 8 to 10, he was in Guinea-Bissau to attend the 63rd Ordinary Session of the Authority of Heads of State and Government of the Economic Community of West African States, where he emerged as chairman of the regional bloc.

In his capacity as Chairman of the ECOWAS authority, Tinubu was in Nairobi, Kenya, from July 15 – 17 for the fifth mid-year coordination meeting of the African Union, the Regional Economic Communities, the Regional Mechanisms, and the African Union Member States.

The President began his foreign ceremonial engagements in the neighbouring Republic of Benin on August 1, 2023, when he attended the country’s 63rd independence anniversary. The visit was to honour an invitation from his Beninoise counterpart, Patrice Talon.

Afterwards, he remained in Nigeria for over a month to organise his cabinet of ministers nominated to the Federal Executive Council.

On September 5, he resumed foreign travels in New Delhi, India, where he attended the G-20 Leaders’ Summit from September 10 to 11, at the request of Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi.

Upon leaving India, where he spent a week, the President made a “technical stopover” in Abu Dhabi, the Emirati capital, where he met UAE Leader Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan.
Later that month, the President spent nine days with world leaders in New York, USA, at the 78th United Nations General Assembly, which began on September 19. (His first UNGA as President).

Afterwards, he proceeded to Paris, France, where he remained for five days. He arrived in Abuja on September 29 ahead of Nigeria’s 63rd Independence Day anniversary on October 1.

The President did not leave the country in October until November 9, 2023, when he arrived in Saudi Arabia to attend the Saudi-Africa Summit in Riyadh the next day.

He departed Saudi Arabia on November 16 for his second ceremonial function, the 50th independence anniversary of the Republic of Guinea-Bissau.

On November 18, he embarked on his third trip to Europe, where he attended the G20 Compact with Africa Conference hosted by German Chancellor Olaf Scholz in Berlin. The conference was held on November 20, after which Tinubu returned to Abuja six days later.

A week after returning from Germany, he departed for Dubai, the UAE, to attend the COP28 Climate Summit and returned on December 5.

He resumed travels on January 24, 2024, to Paris, where he spent 14 days on a private visit. He returned on February 6.
On February 15, the President proceeded to Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, where he spent four days participating in the 37th Ordinary Session of the Assembly of the African Union Heads of State and Government.

Doha, the Qatari capital, followed. Tinubu was in the Middle Eastern country from February 29 to March 4 for an official visit. On April 2, he joined other African leaders in Dakar, the Senegalese Capital, to inaugurate the country’s new and youngest President, Basirou Faye.

From April 23 – 26, Tinubu was in the Netherlands for a state visit. Afterwards, he proceeded to Riyadh, the Saudi capital, to participate in the 2024 Special World Economic Forum on Global Collaboration, Growth, and Energy for Development from April 26 to 28.

He proceeded to London on April 29, where he spent nine days before returning on May 8, after speculations on his whereabouts grew rife. On May 23, the President was in N’Djamena, the Republic of Chad, to attend the inauguration of President Idriss Déby Itno.

From June 18 to 20, Tinubu visited Pretoria, South Africa, where he attended President Cyril Ramaphosa’s inauguration and held bilateral talks afterwards.

He also spent three days, July 19 – 22, attending the 6th Mid-Year Coordination Meeting of the African Union in Accra, Ghana. The President was also in Malabo, Equatorial Guinea, for a three-day official visit from August 14-17.

Tinubu embarked on his maiden flight on his newly acquired Airbus A330 luxury jet to Paris, France, the next day. He returned after four days to swear in the Chief Justice of Nigeria, Justice Kudirat Kekere-Ekun.
The Nigerian leader resumed the junket on August 29 in Beijing, China, where he held bilateral talks with his Chinese counterpart, Xi Jinping. Afterward, he attended the Forum on China-Africa Cooperation. Tinubu departed China for the UK, where he spent seven days, and returned on September 14.

On October 2, a day after attending the 64th Independence Day anniversary, Tinubu departed Abuja for the UK again for a two-week working leave. He spent nine days there and proceeded to Paris, France, for an “important engagement,” his Senior Special Assistant on Political and Other Matters, Ibrahim Masari, said.

Shettima’s visits

Meanwhile, Shettima was in Rome, Italy, from July 23 to July 26, 2023, to represent Tinubu at the first Stocktaking Moment Summit, themed, ‘Transforming food systems for people, planet, and prosperity’.

From Rome, the VP proceeded to St. Petersburg, Russia, for the Russia-Africa Summit held from July 26 – 29. He also participated in bilateral meetings with representatives of relevant Russian senior government officials and business leaders to discuss relations between Russia and Nigeria.
On August 21, Shettima arrived in South Africa to represent Tinubu at the 15th BRICS Summit of Heads of State and Government at the Sandton Convention Centre, Johannesburg, scheduled from August 22 to 24

He was also in Havana, the Cuban capital, from September 11 to 18 for the G77+China Leaders’ Summit.
Shettima spent his longest streak of 20 days outside the country from October 15 to November 3, at the 3rd Belt and Road Initiative Forum in Beijing, China, held from October 16 to 18.

On October 22, he arrived in the US to participate in the AfDB World Food Prize-facilitated Norman E. Borlaug International Dialogue, which commenced two days later in Iowa.

From January 14 – 18, Shettima attended the 2024 World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland. On February 7, 10 and 11, he led the Nigerian delegation to Yamousoukro, Ivory Coast, to support the Nigerian national football team, the Super Eagles, in the 2023 Africa Cup of Nations. He appeared in the semi-final match against South Africa and the final game against the host, Ivory Coast.

The VP was initially scheduled to represent Tinubu at the US-Africa Business Summit in Dallas, Texas, but he returned midflight due to a technical fault with his aircraft. He then delivered Nigeria’s national statement at the 79th United Nations General Assembly in New York, USA, where he spent six days. From October 17 to 19, Shettima also visited Stockholm, Sweden for bilateral talks.

The Swedish trip meant Tinubu and Shettima were out of the country simultaneously, a development that drew backlash from Nigerians.

It is the second time both officers have been concurrently absent from the country since assuming office 17 months ago.

Between late April and early May 2024, while Tinubu was in London, after visiting the Netherlands and Saudi Arabia, Shettima left Nigeria, first to Kenya. Afterwards, he left for Dallas, Texas, but cancelled his trip upon the advice of the Presidential Air Fleet.
Criticisms trail travels

The Labour Party presidential candidate during the 2023 general elections, Peter Obi, faulted the recent foreign trips, saying they came at a time when the country was grappling with domestic challenges.

Obi maintained that it was disturbing that Tinubu and his deputy were not in the country at a time when citizens needed them the most.

He wrote, “While it is arguable that with the President and Vice President absent from the Villa, there is no vacancy in the Presidency, in a situation where both the President and Vice President are out of the country, as reported in the media yesterday, it’s concerning for a country with such myriads of domestic problems.”

Obi questioned why the President, reportedly in Paris, about 833 nautical miles from Stockholm, did not attend the bilateral talks.

“He could simply have done it on his way back from France with his new powerful jet, which would have taken him a little over 2 hours.

“This would have saved time and the very scarce national resources we need critically at this time.
“Instead, he delegated the Vice President, who needed to travel 3055 nautical miles, over nine hours, and (about four times the travel time from Paris) Abuja, Nigeria, to Stockholm, Sweden, to represent him at the event,” Obi added.

Justifying the recent trips, the Presidency said Tinubu and Shettima’s absence does not pose a vacuum in Nigeria’s leadership.

It said the two principal officers are “fully engaged with the nation’s affairs, even while away.”

Obi also faulted the President for allegedly extending his 14-day leave.

However, a government official knowledgeable about presidential movements told our correspondent that Tinubu was expected back around the weekend.

The source said, “If you were to calculate the two weeks from October 2, he should be returning on Wednesday, October 16.

“But you only count the working days. Meaning that weekends are out of it. So, he’s supposed to spend 14 working days, which will end by early next week.”
Tinubu returned to Nigeria on Saturday.

Meanwhile, the Executive Director of the Abuja-based Civil Society Legislative Advocacy Centre, Auwal Rafsanjani, told Sunday PUNCH that though foreign trips are part of governance, leaders must only pursue engagements that fetch Nigerians the highest returns.

Rafsanjani said, “I think it is essential that public officials understand that the country does not have the resources to embark on travels without significant economic value to the nation.

“While we cannot ask public officers to stop travelling altogether, they should minimise careless and reckless expenses when embarking on some of these trips.”

The Executive Chairman of the Centre for Anti-Corruption and Open Leadership, Debo Adeniran, said such engagements were necessary to cement Nigeria’s place in the comity of nations.

He said, “I believe they needed to do some of these travels, especially that of the G-20 in India and the BRICS summit in South Africa.”

Onanuga said the foreign engagements were the administration’s lifeline to sell Nigeria’s vision to the rest of the world.
He said, “Those who say those trips are unnecessary need to check what benefits were brought back. For instance, agreements were signed in Dubai on Siemens’ involvement in Nigeria’s power industry.”

The presidential aide declared that Nigerians would see the economic benefit of the engagements in no distant time.