Nigerian President Bola Tinubu on Tuesday evening returned to Abuja after spending part of his annual holiday in France, marking his 15th International trip this year, in the wake of concern over costs associated with his travels.
The presidential jet touched down at the Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport around 6:45 pm, where he was received by Senate President Godswill Akpabio, his Chief of Staff, Femi Gbajabiamila; Governor Abdullahi Sule of Nasarawa State and other senior government officials.
Tinubu had departed Nigeria on September 4, 2025, for France to observe part of his annual leave. He was initially expected to split the vacation between France and the United Kingdom but eventually concluded it in France.
During his stay in Paris, the President held a private luncheon with French President Emmanuel Macron at the Élysée Palace.
Both leaders discussed bilateral relations, reviewing strategic areas of cooperation and pledging to deepen ties for shared prosperity and global stability.
This trip is Tinubu’s seventh visit to Paris since assuming office in May 2023 and his first since the BRICS summit in July and August’s TICAD9 in Japan.
Africa's Flying President.
In the first nine months of 2025, the President has undertaken 15 international trips across 11 countries.
These include high-level summits, bilateral engagements, presidential inaugurations, and annual leaves.
On January 6, Tinubu kicked off his diplomatic itinerary with a visit to Accra, the capital of the Republic of Ghana, to attend the inauguration of President-elect John Dramani Mahama on January 7.
He was in the United Arab Emirates to attend the Abu Dhabi Sustainability Summit from January 12 – 16, where he held side meetings with Gulf investors and officials on trade and energy cooperation.
From January 27-28, he visited Dar es Salaam, Tanzania, to participate in the Africa Heads of State Energy Summit.
February saw the President travel to France before attending the 37th African Union Summit in Ethiopia, where he joined other African leaders in discussions on regional security, climate adaptation, and continental trade integration under the AfCFTA.
From April 2-21, Tinubu embarked on a two-week working visit that included France and the United Kingdom.
In mid-May, the President travelled to Vatican City, attending the historic inauguration of Pope Leo XIV in Rome.
From June 28 to July 4, Tinubu undertook a landmark state visit to Saint Lucia, where he addressed CARICOM leaders in Castries.
From Saint Lucia, he proceeded to Brazil, arriving in Rio de Janeiro for the 17th BRICS Summit (July 4–7).
The Brazil visit continued into August, with President Tinubu returning for a two-day state visit.
This came after he visited Japan in the same month to attend the Tokyo International Conference on African Development, where he pitched Nigeria’s investment readiness to Japanese multinationals and met Prime Minister Fumio Kishida on maritime security and digital infrastructure.
Before he arrived in Japan, Tinubu and his entourage stopped over in Dubai, UAE, on August 15 and arrived in Yokohama early in the morning on August 18.
It was his second visit to the Gulf state within the year.
In September, he again embarked on a working vacation to the United Kingdom and France, his third visit to Paris this year and second to London.
Huge Travel Budget Amid Backlash.
These trips, come amid growing concerns over the costs associated with the President's travel, especially in the context of Nigeria's economic challenges and limited revenue.
Data from the Open Treasury Portal seen by Julisha.co.ke, showed that the Tinubu-led presidency spent N36 billion on international travel in 2024.
According to the State House Headquarters expenditure breakdown, N12.2 billion was allocated to "international travel and transport (training)," while N24.19 billion was spent on "international travel and transport (other)." In total, the State House spent N36.3 billion on international travel during the 2024 fiscal year.
Local travel and transport costs were also significant, with N15.8 billion allocated for "local travel and transport (training)" and N31.2 billion for "local travel and transport (other)." Altogether, the combined expenditure for both local and international travel amounted to N83 billion, according to the Open Treasury Portal.
A review of Nigeria's 2025 approved budget by Julisha Media, has revealed that President Bola Tinubu plans to spend N6.1billion on international travel in 2025. The budget also includes N873 million for local travel, bringing the total expenditure for both international and local travel to N7 billion for the year.
Meanwhile, Vice President Kashim Shettima is set to spend N1.314 billion on international travel and an additional N417.488 million on local travel in the same year.
Amid concerns about the presidency’s travel expenditures, Nigeria's Minister of Foreign Affairs, Ambassador Yusuf Maitama Tuggar, defended the foreign trips, asserting that President Tinubu should undertake even more international travels.
Speaking during a live broadcast on Channels TV, Ambassador Tuggar emphasised that Nigeria has sufficient funds to support additional travel for the President and his cabinet members.
The Minister had highlighted the "positive impact" of President Tinubu's foreign trips, noting that they have significantly benefitted Nigeria's economy. He pointed to an example where President Tinubu secured $2 million in investments during a visit to Brazil, which are aimed at developing the livestock sector and addressing challenges such as the herders-farmers crisis. "Other countries are chasing after these investments, but President Tinubu was able to secure them for Nigeria," he remarked.
In August 2024, Julisha.co.ke reported that President Tinubu had spent a staggering N2.3 billion on foreign trips and related expenses over just six months. Data from the GovSpend platform, provided by the BudgIT Foundation, showed that between February 21 and July 19, 2024, the President’s foreign trip expenses totaled N2,346,623,000.
The State House Headquarters in Abuja also made several payments for presidential trips during this period, including N300 million in January 2024, N250 million in February, and a series of payments totaling N9 million and more on March 15, 2024.
Additional payments for presidential trips were made throughout the year, including significant sums in May and July, with notable payments of N350 million each in both May and July.
Furthermore, between February 24 and March 15, 2024, the government spent over N2.9 billion on foreign exchange for President Tinubu, Vice President Kashim Shettima, and First Lady Oluremi Tinubu for trips to Ethiopia, Switzerland, Liberia, France, Côte d'Ivoire, and other destinations.
The expenditure across various official and diplomatic trips shows the escalating cost of international travel for Nigeria’s top government officials. The President’s international engagements accounted for the largest share of the foreign currency expenditure in 2024.
President Tinubu has been on the receiving end from Nigerians who are decrying overtaxation, rising cost of living and financial hardship.
His frequent foreign “working vacations” have sparked criticism at home, with growing concerns about insecurity, leadership gaps, and unresolved crises in critical sectors.
Despite claims that these trips secure investment opportunities, many Nigerians believe the President is too detached from pressing national issues.
