On Tuesday, President Bola Tinubu approved significant “cost-cutting” measures aimed at reducing the size of official entourages on both local and international travels by 60%. The announcement was made by the Special Adviser to the President on Media and Publicity, Ajuri Ngelale, during a briefing with State House Correspondents at the Presidential Villa in Abuja.
The directive, according to Ngelale, applies to the Offices of the President, Vice President, First Lady, Wife of the Vice President, and all Ministries, Departments, and Agencies. President Tinubu has decided to discontinue the practice of large security delegations accompanying him on travels within the country, as this incurs substantial expenses in terms of estacode and duty allowances.
Ngelale outlined the specifics of the cost-cutting measures. For international trips, the President directed that no more than 20 individuals be allowed to travel with him, with the number reduced to five for the First Lady. Similarly, the Vice President’s official international entourage will be limited to five members, and the Wife of the Vice President will be allowed five members as well.
On domestic trips within the country, the President has approved a new limit of 25 staff members accompanying him. The Offices of the First Lady and the Wife of the Vice President are now restricted to 10 staff members on official domestic trips, while the Vice President is limited to 15 staff members.
Furthermore, ministers are now limited to four persons for foreign trips, and heads of agencies can only travel with two persons. This directive aims to streamline and reduce the size of delegations accompanying government officials on official events, both nationally and internationally.
The move comes after the Tinubu administration faced criticism four weeks prior for assembling a large entourage to the COP28 Climate Change Summit in Dubai, United Arab Emirates. The new measures reflect a commitment to fiscal responsibility and efficient use of government resources.
