In a recent report by Saturday PUNCH, it has been revealed that the Federal Government allocated approximately N701 million for the foreign travels of Nigeria’s First Lady, Remi Tinubu, over a span of three months.
According to data from GovSpend, a civic tech platform monitoring federal expenditures, the government disbursed N700,707,532 for the First Lady’s trips to five countries, including two African nations. The breakdown of the spending is as follows:

• United States: On November 17, 2023, N77,659,888 was allocated for foreign exchange ($94,314) for the First Lady’s visit.
• France: On February 24, 2024, N149,794,284 was spent on foreign exchange ($152,831) for her trip on January 4, 2024.
• Mozambique: On March 15, 2024, N202,386,198 was used for foreign exchange ($126,834) for the trip that month.
• Ethiopia: On the same day, N144,571,785 was allocated for foreign exchange ($96,118) for the trip on February 9, 2024.
• United Kingdom: Also on March 15, 2024, N126,295,377 was spent on foreign exchange ($83,967) for the London visit.

In addition, the government spent N314,231,472 on six programs organized by the First Lady within a four-month period:

• Rock of Ages Total Events Centre Ltd: Received N131,921,786 on May 24, 2024, for event decorations related to the First Lady’s programs for women, youth, and children.
• Makeway Nigeria Limited: Paid N107,630,000 on May 29, 2024, for multimedia and related services for the same programs.

The expenditure highlights the significant investment in the First Lady’s international and domestic engagements, prompting discussions on the allocation of federal funds.