Tinubu and Shettima?s trips and refreshments to gulp N9.4bn in 2025 budget

President Bola Ahmed Tinubu and Vice President Kashim Shettima are set to allocate N9.36 billion for local and foreign travels, as well as refreshments, in 2025.

This information is detailed in the 2025 Appropriation Bill released by the Ministry of Budget and Economic Planning.

The president presented the N49.7 trillion 2025 budget proposal, titled “Restoration Budget: Securing Peace and Building Prosperity,” to a joint session of the National Assembly on Wednesday.

According to the proposal, Tinubu will spend N7.44 billion on travels and refreshments, while Shettima will spend N1.9 billion on the same.

The breakdown shows that N6.14 billion is earmarked for Tinubu’s international travels, while local trips will cost N873.9 million. Additionally, N431.6 million is allocated for his refreshments, meals, and catering supplies.

For Vice President Shettima, international travels will cost N1.31 billion, while local trips are budgeted at N417.5 million. Refreshments, meals, and catering supplies for the vice president are set at N186.02 million.

In 2024, Tinubu, Shettima, and First Lady Remi Tinubu collectively spent over N5.24 billion on local and foreign travels between January and March, according to an analysis using GovSpend, a civic tech platform that tracks federal government expenditures.

The 2025 budget also includes significant allocations for vehicles, honorariums, and infrastructure for senior officials. The Office of the President has proposed N4.76 billion for vehicles, with N3.66 billion for State House operational vehicles and N1 billion for replacing sport utility vehicles (SUVs).

An additional N255.7 million is set aside for car purchases, including N127.8 million for SUVs for the president and vice president and the same amount for operational vehicles in the Presidential Conference Car Unit fleet.

The presidency also plans to spend N5.93 billion on honorariums, construction for Special Advisers and Senior Special Assistants’ offices, and generator fuel. This includes N2.12 billion for sitting allowances and honorariums, N1.99 billion for fuel, and N1.83 billion for constructing office complexes for advisers and assistants.

Meanwhile, the National Assembly passed the N49.7 trillion “Restoration Budget” for a second reading on Thursday after deliberations on its principles.

The Senate, presided over by Senate President Godswill Akpabio, referred the budget to the Committee on Appropriations following a voice vote. The House of Representatives also referred the appropriation bill to the House Committee on Appropriation for further review.

Additionally, the House passed a bill to extend the capital component of the 2024 budget to June 30, 2025. House Leader Rep. Julius Ihonvere presented the bill titled, “A Bill for an Act to Amend the Appropriation Act, 2024 to Extend the Implementation of the Capital Component of the Appropriation Act, 2024 from 31 December 2024 to 30 June 2025 and for Related Matters (HB.2023).”

Both chambers of the National Assembly have adjourned sittings until January 14, 2025, for the yuletide recess.