A new report has shed light on significant government spending on the First Lady, Senator Remi Tinubu, revealing that ₦701 million was allocated for her foreign trips over just three months. This expenditure covered visits to five different countries, including two in Africa.
In 2023, the Federal Government set aside ₦1.5 billion specifically for vehicles for the First Lady’s office, as part of a ₦2.1 trillion supplementary budget approved by the National Assembly. The budget also earmarked ₦2.9 billion for sport utility vehicles to be used at the Presidential Villa and an additional ₦2.9 billion to replace operational vehicles for the Presidency. Senator Ali Ndume clarified that the ₦1.5 billion was intended for the entire Presidency, not solely for the First Lady’s office.
The report from Punch, confirmed by GovSpend—a civic tech platform that tracks and analyzes federal spending—details the expenditures on the First Lady’s trips:
Trip to the United States: On November 17, 2023, ₦77,659,888 was spent to purchase foreign exchange for the trip.
Trip to France: On February 24, 2024, ₦149,794,284 was spent for her visit in January 2024.
Trip to Mozambique: On March 15, 2024, ₦202,386,198 was used for foreign exchange for this trip.
Trip to Ethiopia: On the same day as Mozambique, ₦144,571,785 was allocated for her visit to Addis Ababa on February 9, 2024.
Trip to London: Also on March 15, 2024, ₦126,295,377 was spent on foreign exchange for this trip.
In addition to these travels, the government invested ₦314,231,472 in six programmes run by the First Lady over four months. For instance, on May 24, 2024, Rock of Ages Total Events Centre Ltd received ₦131,921,786 for decorating State House events related to the First Lady’s initiatives for women, youth, and children. Just a few days later, Makeway Nigeria Limited was paid ₦107,630,000 for multimedia and related services during these programmes.
In total, the government’s expenditure on the First Lady’s foreign trips and related programmes amounted to ₦1,014,939,004 over a seven-month period. This substantial spending has drawn attention to the scale of funding allocated to the First Lady’s international activities and related events.
