FOREIGN TRAVEL EXPENSES BY FEDERAL MDAS CROSS ₦50BN IN THREE YEARS

Federal ministries, departments and agencies spent at least ₦50.41bn on official foreign travel-related expenses between June 2023 and June 19, 2026, according to an analysis of government payment records. The spending covered foreign air tickets, estacode and offshore allowances, overseas training, visas, accommodation, participation fees, foreign exchange, protocol and other travel logistics. The analysis, based on data obtained from GovSpend and reviewed from 9,305 payment entries, found that the expenditure involved 1,967 transactions across 129 federal institutions and agencies.

The records showed that foreign air tickets accounted for the largest share of the expenditure, with ₦23.70bn spent through 958 transactions, representing about 47 per cent of the total. Estacode and offshore allowances followed with ₦17.05bn, or 33.8 per cent, while other foreign travel expenses amounted to ₦5.35bn, representing 10.6 per cent. Overseas training accounted for another ₦4.32bn, equivalent to 8.6 per cent of the total. The analysis covered payments of at least ₦5m, meaning the ₦50.41bn figure does not include thousands of smaller travel-related payments below that threshold.

Foreign travel spending increased from ₦16.54bn between June 2023 and May 2024 to ₦19.13bn between June 2024 and May 2025, representing a 15.7 per cent rise. It subsequently declined to ₦14.66bn between June 2025 and May 2026, a reduction of ₦4.47bn or 23.4 per cent. The number of transactions also changed during the period, rising from 714 in the first year to 780 in the second before dropping to 467 in the third. Despite the lower number of transactions in the third year, the average value increased to ₦31.39m per payment, compared with ₦23.17m in the first year and ₦24.53m in the second.

The Technical Aid Corps recorded the highest expenditure among the institutions covered, with ₦11.70bn across 93 transactions, much of it linked to offshore allowances for Nigerian volunteers and other foreign-service activities. The Office of the Accountant-General of the Federation followed with ₦5.16bn in two transactions, including a ₦5.15bn payment in December 2024 for outstanding estacode allowances and flight tickets relating to foreign trips by the Vice-President and First Lady that were not budgeted for in 2023 and 2024. State House Headquarters recorded ₦4.83bn, while the Federal Ministry of Sports Development spent ₦4.10bn, largely in connection with Nigeria’s participation in the 2024 African Games in Accra, Ghana. Other notable expenditures included ₦2.05bn by the National Agency for Science and Engineering Infrastructure and ₦1.58bn by the Federal Ministry of Finance.

The expenditure has drawn concerns from accountability groups, with the Socio-Economic Rights and Accountability Project and Accountability Lab Nigeria calling for greater scrutiny of public spending on foreign travel. The government has also taken steps to tighten controls, with the Secretary to the Government of the Federation, George Akume, directing MDAs not to process payments for official foreign trips by government appointees without prior approval from his office. The August 13, 2026 circular said the measure was necessary to improve coordination, accountability, transparency and prudent management of public resources, while the Ministry of Foreign Affairs was directed to require evidence of approval when processing diplomatic and visa-related requests for government officials travelling abroad.