N23bn on Presidential Trips: What Could That Money Do for Ordinary Nigerians?

The Nigerian Presidency spent over ₦23 billion on foreign exchange for international trips undertaken in 2024 by top government officials, including President Bola Tinubu, Vice President Kashim Shettima, and First Lady Oluremi Tinubu . This shows a 23% increase from the ₦18.63 billion recorded in 2023.

The average minimum wage in Nigeria is ₦70,000 a month. That’s just enough to cover rent in some areas or not even, for those in major cities. If you’re a teacher, you probably make about ₦550,000 a year. So, imagine if that ₦23 billion went somewhere else:

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Breaking Down the ₦23 Billion Expenditure

To contextualise the magnitude of ₦23 billion:

Teacher Salaries: 

The average annual salary for a secondary school teacher in Nigeria is approximately ₦550,000. With ₦23 billion, the government could pay the annual salaries of over 41,800 teachers, potentially addressing educational staffing shortages.

Healthcare Infrastructure: 

Building a standard medical clinic in Nigeria can cost around $87,500 (approximately ₦140 million) . Thus, ₦23 billion could fund the construction of over 160 such clinics, enhancing healthcare access in underserved regions

Road Construction: 

The Lagos-Calabar coastal highway project is estimated at ₦4 billion per kilometre. With ₦23 billion, nearly 5.75 kilometres of this highway could be constructed, improving transportation infrastructure.

Why Does This Hit So Hard?

Right now, inflation is eating up everyone’s salary. Prices of rice, bread, and petrol keep rising. People are cutting back, some are skipping meals, some have children out of school.

Yet, our leaders are spending more on flying abroad than ever before. Official trips to places like Ethiopia, Switzerland, France, and the UK are burning through money that could change lives back home.

So, Who Decides What Matters Most?

Government officials say these trips are for the good of the country, to bring in foreign investment or keep Nigeria’s name on the global stage.

Maybe some of that is true. But when the average Nigerian can’t afford to fill their tank, see a doctor, or get their child to school, it’s hard not to wonder: Should we spend billions travelling, or fix problems here first?