Opposition fumes as Tinubu makes 15th foreign trip in 2025
The Peoples Democratic Party, Labour Party, the New Nigerian People’s Party and the Coalition for United Political Parties have criticised President Bola Tinubu for his frequent overseas trips, describing them as insensitive and a reflection of the government’s lack of commitment to strengthening Nigeria’s health care system.
The parties in separate interviews with The PUNCH alleged that President Tinubu’s numerous foreign trips are as a result of his state of health.
The outcry comes as the Presidency announced on Thursday that Tinubu would be embarking on a 10-day vacation to Europe.
“The vacation will last 10 working days,” the President’s Special Adviser on Information and Strategy, Bayo Onanuga, revealed this in a statement he signed on Thursday.
Since taking office in May 2023, President Tinubu has undertaken at least 43 foreign trips.
The latest trip makes the 15th international trip across 11 countries that Tinubu has undertaken in 2025 alone.
He only recently returned to the country after a trip to Japan and Brazil.
His various trips include high-level summits, bilateral engagements, presidential inaugurations, and short holidays.
On January 6, Tinubu kicked off his diplomatic itinerary with a visit to Accra, the Ghanaian capital, to attend the inauguration of President-elect John Mahama on January 7.
He was at the United Arab Emirates, to attend the Abu Dhabi Sustainability Summit, from January 12 – 16, where he held side meetings with Gulf investors and officials on trade and energy cooperation.
From January 27-28, he visited Dar es Salaam, Tanzania, to participate in the Africa Heads of State Energy Summit on February saw the President travel to France before attending the 37th African Union Summit in Ethiopia, where he joined other African leaders in discussions on regional security, climate adaptation, and continental trade integration under the AfCFTA.
From April 2 – 21, President Tinubu embarked on a two-week working visit that included France and the United Kingdom.
In mid-May, the President travelled to Vatican City, attending the historic inauguration of Pope Leo XIV in Rome.
From June 28 to July 4, Tinubu undertook a landmark state visit to Saint Lucia, where he addressed CARICOM leaders in Castries.
From Saint Lucia, he proceeded to Brazil, arriving in Rio de Janeiro for the 17th BRICS Summit (July 4–7).
The Brazil visit continued into August, when President Tinubu returned for a two-day state visit.
This came after he visited Japan in the same month to attend the Tokyo International Conference on African Development, where he pitched Nigeria’s investment readiness to Japanese multinationals and met Prime Minister Fumio Kishida on maritime security and digital infrastructure.
Before he arrived Japan, Tinubu and his entourage stopped over in Dubai, UAE, on August 15 and arrived in Yokohama days later on August 18.
It was his second visit to the Gulf state within the year.
On Thursday, President Tinubu departed Abuja, to commence a working vacation in France and the UK, as part of his 2025 annual leave.
“The vacation will last 10 working days,” the President’s Special Adviser on Information and Strategy, Bayo Onanuga, revealed this in a statement he signed Thursday.
The statement is titled ‘President Tinubu departs Abuja to begin 2025 annual leave.’
“President Tinubu will spend the period between France and the UK and then return to the country,” Onanuga revealed.
Thursday’s trip comes barely one year after Tinubu took a two-week vacation in the UK last October.
He later headed for France, where he spent the remainder of the vacation.
In his reaction, the PDP Deputy Youth Leader, Timothy Osadolor lamented that taxpayers’ money is being wasted on unnecessary trips, adding that the Tinubu administration has failed to provide good governance.
Osadolor stated, “I think the president’s frequent trips are highly insensitive, and they show a lack of faith in our national health care system because the reason he is travelling is for medical tourism.
“Imagine the billions of naira that will be spent as estacodes and used in paying frivolous charges that those foreign hospitals might have given to him, as well as the travel expenses for him, his caregivers, and the hangers-on that will have gone on this trip. Imagine the state of our local health facilities in this country.
