In a bid to streamline government expenditures, President Bola Tinubu has approved significant reductions in official entourages for both domestic and international travels. The decision, aimed at cost-cutting, will see a 60% reduction in the number of officials accompanying the President, Vice President, First Lady, and other government offices.
The Special Adviser to the President on Media and Publicity, Ajuri Ngelale, disclosed the directive during a briefing at the Presidential Villa in Abuja on Tuesday. Ngelale emphasized that the cost-cutting measures apply uniformly to the Offices of the President, Vice President, First Lady, Wife of the Vice President, as well as all Ministries, Departments, and Agencies.
“For domestic trips, the President will now travel with a maximum of 25 officials, a notable reduction from previous practice,” Ngelale stated. He further explained that the same limit applies to the Office of the First Lady and the Wife of the Vice President, with their entourage capped at 10 members for official trips within the country.
On international trips, President Tinubu has directed that the entourage be restricted to a maximum of 20 individuals. The First Lady’s entourage will be limited to five members, mirroring the President’s directive. Similarly, the Vice President and his wife will be accompanied by a maximum of five officials on international visits.
Ngelale clarified that ministers will now be constrained to four accompanying staff members on foreign trips, while heads of agencies are limited to two. The move comes in response to recent criticism of the Tinubu administration’s entourage size during the COP28 Climate Change Summit in Dubai, where a sizable delegation attracted public scrutiny.
These austerity measures mark a deliberate effort by the President to address concerns over excessive spending and ensure a more efficient use of public resources in official travels.
