Calls Grow to Limit Foreign Medical Treatment and Lavish Trips for Nigerian Officials Amid Economic Struggles

 

As Nigeria faces severe economic challenges, there is growing public outcry over the extravagant foreign trips made by top government officials, sparking calls to restrict medical treatments abroad for these officials. Civil society groups and concerned Nigerians are urging the government to cut back on such trips and redirect funds to critical sectors like education, healthcare, and job creation for the youth.

Recent memos obtained by SaharaReporters reveal a series of VIP trips taken by high-ranking officials in President Bola Tinubu's administration. One memo dated October 13, 2024, shows that the 53-year-old Deputy Speaker of the House of Representatives, Benjamin Kalu, traveled to Geneva, Switzerland, on a Lufthansa flight. His flight, LH595, departed Abuja at 10:20 pm.

Similarly, the Comptroller General of the Nigeria Customs Service, Alhaji Bashir Adewale Adeniyi, aged 58, returned to Abuja from Rwanda aboard RwandAir flight WB220X, landing at 11:39 am. On the same day, the Minister of State for Housing and Urban Development, Muhammad Abdullahi Tijjani Gwarzo, 64, arrived in Abuja from Frankfurt, Germany, on Lufthansa flight LH594, landing at 4:32 pm. The 49-year-old Minister of Art, Culture, and Creative Economy, Hannatu Musa Musawa, also left Abuja for Algeria on Egypt Air flight MS 877X at 12:40 pm, according to another memo dated October 14, 2024.

These trips, often taken on diplomatic passports and accompanied by substantial travel allowances, have raised concerns about the priorities of Nigeria's leadership. Insiders claim that the officials' frequent foreign travel, which costs millions of dollars annually, is driven by generous allowances and estacode, despite the country's financial difficulties.

President Bola Tinubu himself has faced criticism for his own travel expenses. Between February and July 2024, he reportedly spent over N2.3 billion on foreign trips, according to data from GovSpend, a project of BudgIT. This excessive spending comes at a time when inflation is rising and living standards for many Nigerians are declining.

As the economic strain on the country deepens, more Nigerians are advocating for a ban or limit on medical treatments abroad for government officials, arguing that the funds could be better utilized to improve local infrastructure and services, and help address the pressing needs of the population.