President Bola Tinubu has sparked fresh controversy by departing for Paris, France, on a two-week “working visit,” a move critics say is ill-timed given Nigeria’s ongoing economic struggles.
According to his Special Adviser on Information and Strategy, Bayo Onanuga, Tinubu’s trip is aimed at assessing his administration’s mid-term performance and planning ahead of his second anniversary in office. However, many Nigerians are questioning why such an evaluation requires an expensive foreign retreat instead of being conducted within the country.
The Presidency insists that the visit will allow Tinubu to “review the progress of ongoing reforms and engage in strategic planning.” It also pointed to a reported increase in Nigeria’s net foreign exchange reserves to $23.11 billion as evidence of the administration’s economic success. But with skyrocketing inflation, unemployment, and fuel subsidy removals making life difficult for ordinary citizens, opposition voices argue that the trip is a sign of disconnect between the government and the people.
While Tinubu’s team claims he will remain fully engaged in governance remotely, skeptics fear the visit is more about luxury than leadership. The President is expected to return in a fortnight, but the political and economic implications of his absence may last much longer.
