Tinubu Spent N1.5bn On Air Tickets In One Day

A review of Nigeria’s public payments portal, Govspend, has revealed that the Presidency under President Bola Ahmed Tinubu spent about N1.5 billion on air ticket purchases in a single day, December 24.
Data obtained from the portal show multiple payments made on the same day through State House sub-accounts as well as direct transfers to private travel agencies, all listed for the purchase of air tickets.
According to the records, N237 million and N134.4 million were paid into a State House sub-account on December 24 for air ticket procurement. On the same day, another N239 million and N346 million were similarly paid into the same account for the same purpose.
In addition to the sub-account payments, the Presidency also made direct transfers to travel agencies. Govspend data indicate that N226 million was paid to Overland Travels and Tours Limited on December 24 for air tickets. The spending continued with another N153.5 million paid to the same firm, as well as N136.5 million in an additional transaction on the same day.
Another travel agency, Travel Options Limited, also received N96.8 million on December 24 for air ticket purchases.
When all the transactions recorded for that day are combined, the total expenditure on air tickets amounts to approximately N1.5 billion.
The payments were processed through both State House sub-accounts and private travel agencies, with several transactions carrying similar descriptions and purposes, raising questions about the structure and coordination of official travel spending.
The revelation comes amid heightened public scrutiny of government recurrent expenditure, especially as many Nigerians continue to face rising living costs and economic hardship. Govspend was established to promote transparency in public finance by enabling citizens to monitor government spending.
Concerns over travel costs have been further amplified by findings from a review of the 2026 Nigerian budget, which shows that N6.1 billion has been allocated for President Tinubu’s international travels under State House operations. The budget also earmarks N873 million for the President’s local travels during the fiscal year.
Vice President Kashim Shettima is projected to spend N1.3 billion on foreign trips in 2026, bringing the combined foreign travel budget for the President and Vice President to N7.4 billion.
Beyond travel expenses, the 2026 budget also allocates significant funds to the Presidential Air Fleet. A total of N6 billion is planned for aircraft engine overhauls, including N3.859 billion for the overhaul of engines on the Gulfstream G550 (5N-FGW) and N2.19 billion for two Falcon 7X engines.
Additional allocations include N1.2 billion for aircraft maintenance, N1.5 billion for fuel, and another N6 billion for repairs to air navigation systems.
These figures have intensified public debate and criticism over the cost of presidential travel and aircraft maintenance, with analysts questioning the sustainability and prioritisation of such expenditures amid Nigeria’s ongoing economic challenges.