Nigeria bans cabinet members & government officials from traveling abroad

 

 Nigeria's President Bola Tinubu has announced a three-month travel ban on all cabinet members and government officials.

 Tinubu's Chief of Staff, Femi Bajabiamila, said the move stemmed from the president's concern over the increase in the cost of government officials traveling abroad.  The new ban will come into effect from April 1.

 Frequent foreign trips by President Tinubu and officials of his administration have been widely criticized in the country.  Tinubu has traveled abroad at least 15 times since he was sworn in as president in May last year.

 The Nigerian president has spent at least 3.4 billion naira (about $2.2 million) on domestic and foreign travel in the first six months of his term in office, more than 36 percent of the total annual budget for his 2023 tour, according to a report in the country's Punch newspaper last January.  .

 Femi Bajabiamila said the travel ban would reduce the cost of Nigeria's current economic challenges and responsible financial management.  The West African country is grappling with its worst cost-of-living crisis in decades.

 The country's ongoing economic crisis has created a lot of suffering and anger among the people.  Tinubu has imposed a three-month ban on foreign travel by government officials in his latest attempt to deal with intense public criticism.

 Earlier, in January, the Nigerian president also announced a 60 percent reduction in the number of foreign travel delegations of government officials at state expense.