The Nigerian government spent the sum of N473 million to sponsor the trips of First Lady Oluremi Tinubu to three countries; United Kingdom, Mozambique and Ethiopia, data from public payments portal Govspend.ng has shown.
The Nigerian government spent the sum of ₦126.295 million to sponsor the trip of the First Lady to London, UK.
The amount was equivalent of $83,967.00 in March 2024, meaning the money was exchanged at the rate of N1,504/dollar.
Another sum of N144.571 million was spent to sponsor her trip to Addis Ababa in Ethiopia.
The trip was made on February 9, 2024. The dollar equivalent of the amount was $96,118.
Another sum of N202.386 million was spent to sponsor the First Lady’s trip to Mozambique in March 2024.
The dollar equivalent of the money stood at $126,834.00.
All of these expenditures were recorded on the same day, March 15, 2024 on the Govspend website.
The expenditures come amid concerns on the need to ensure proper management of the country’s scarce resources.
The Nigerian government has continually lamented inadequate revenue.
The organised labour recently demanded an increase in the minimum wage, a development that has continued to trigger disagreements, with the government saying it is unable to pay due to paucity of funds.
SaharaReporters recently raised flags on the inability of the country to release budget performance reports under the Tinubu-led administration, a violation of the law and one that denies citizens access to information on what the government is spending money on and how it is spent on a quarterly basis.
The government also plans to borrow N6.6 trillion to manage budget shortfalls, yet prudence in budget management remains a keen concern.
Credit: SaharaReporters
Leave a Reply