Findings based on an analysis of data from GovSpend, a transparency platform by BudgIT, that tracks public expenditure, has revealed that ministries, departments and agencies of the Federal Government, alongside the Presidency, spent at least N1.99bn on foreign trips, training and estacodes between May 2023 and September 2024.
According to the report, the funds covered airfare, hotel accommodation, visa processing, estacodes, training programmes, and business meetings.
The Govspend findings by BudgIT reveals that a substantial portion was spent on executive training programmes, study trips and international conferences.
According to the findings, one of the largest single expenses was N626.91m, paid by the Office of the Special Adviser to the President on Niger Delta for the training and type rating of 35 cadet pilots in South Africa, France and Nigeria.
The Govspend findings recorded that the funds were transferred from the GIFMIS platform of the federal government to the PAP Naira Transit Account at the Central Bank of Nigeria.
In the findings, the State House also recorded heavy spending on foreign trips, including N149.79m for foreign exchange purchases for the First Lady’s trip to France on April 1, 2024. Another N6.29m was allocated in March 2024 for the processing of a five-year multiple-entry visa for the Vice President.
The findings adds that the National Merit Award spent N15.5m as an advance payment for course fees for eight participants in a Paris training programme from 14 to 20 May 2023.
The Centre for Management Development spent N34.3m for six of its officials, each receiving N5.71m, to attend training in France.
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Some top officials were also beneficiaries of these foreign trips, they are the Director-General of the Federal Institute of Industrial Research, Oshodi, Adamu Jummai, and the former Director-General of the National Directorate of Employment, Nuhu Fikpo, were among those whose trips were fully funded for executive programmes in Paris.
The findings further revealed that the Nigeria Communications Satellite Limited spent N41.09m on multiple officials, including the Technical Adviser to the NIGCOMSAT CEO, Temitope Yoosuf, for business meetings with Airbus in Toulouse, France.
Also, NIGCOMSAT executive director,Jane Egerton-Idehen and Aisha Bantam, Head of Corporate Affairs at NIGCOMSAT, were also funded with N11.88m and N5.65m, respectively, to attend the World Space Business Week in Paris.
The Nigeria Football Federation was not left out as it spent N124.45m on flight tickets for Super Falcons players travelling between America, France, Spain and Nigeria for their Olympic Games qualifier against Ethiopia.
Other notable payments Govspend of Budgit gathered include N10.62m by the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission for airfare of three officials attending the G20 Anti-Corruption Working Group meeting in Paris.
The Fiscal Responsibility Commission also paid N7.90m for an officer to attend the 2023 International Bar Association Conference in France.
The Federal Ministry of Health paid N5.30m each for David Beine Atuwo and Olusola Ayoola to participate in the 11th EDCTP Forum in France, covering airfare and conference participation.
The findings by Govspend did not leave out
the Defence Intelligence Agency, which it says made two significant payments, totalling N574.52m, for the salaries of two seconded staff of the Nigerian Financial Intelligence Unit at Interpol in Lyon, France, and Egmont Group in Ottawa, Canada.
A closer look at the findings show that the spending comes amid growing concerns over government expenditure and the rising cost of governance, amidst an economy grappling with high inflation, fiscal deficits and a weakening naira.
Not a few Nigerians agrees with the spending style of the current government, however, a few months ago, the Minister of Foreign Affairs, Yusuf Tuggar, justified President Bola Tinubu’s frequent travel abroad, saying he needs to embark on more trips because of its inherent benefits.
In the last 21 months in office, President Tinubu has visited about 19 countries on 32 foreign trips.
Among the countries visited were Paris, France; Malabo, Equatorial Guinea; London, the United Kingdom; Bissau, Guinea-Bissau; Nairobi, Kenya; Porto Novo, Benin Republic; The Hague, Netherlands; Pretoria, South Africa; Accra, Ghana.
Others included New Delhi, India; Abu Dhabi and Dubai in the United Arab Emirates; New York, the United States of America; Riyadh, Saudi Arabia; Berlin, Germany; Addis Ababa, Ethiopia; Dakar, Senegal; and Doha, Qatar.
(Editor : Paul Akhagbemhe)
