Remi Tinubu Foreign Trips Gulp N700m In 12 Months

By The Insight Team

Nigeria’s First Lady, Senator Oluremi Tinubu, incurred at least N700.71 million in recorded expenditure on five foreign trips between March 2023 and September 2024, an analysis of government payment records has shown.

The payments covered trips to the United States, Mozambique, France, the United Kingdom and Ethiopia, with foreign exchange allocations stated in the records totalling $554,064.

The records obtained from GovSpend, show that the government spent N77.66 million on a United States trip in 2023 and N623.05 million on four foreign trips in 2024.

The 2024 expenditure was more than eight times the amount recorded for the First Lady’s foreign trip in 2023.

The largest single payment was N202.39 million for a trip to Mozambique in March 2024, while the lowest was N77.66 million for the United States trip.

2023: N77.66m

The records show that the government spent N77.66 million on a United States trip by the First Lady in 2023.

The trip was dated March 11, 2023, while the payment was made on November 17, 2023.

The payment record stated foreign exchange of $94,314.

It was the only foreign-trip expenditure identified for 2023 in the records reviewed.

2024: N623.05m

In 2024, four recorded foreign trips cost N623.05 million.

The largest payment, N202.39 million, was for Mozambique for a trip dated March 2024. The record stated foreign exchange of $126,834.

The government also recorded N149.79 million for France for a trip dated April 1, 2024, with $152,831 stated as foreign exchange.

Another N126.30 million was recorded for a London, United Kingdom trip in March 2024, with $83,967 in foreign exchange.

The fourth payment, N144.57 million, was for Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, for a trip dated September 2, 2024. The record stated $96,118 in foreign exchange.

The four payments brought the total recorded foreign-trip expenditure for 2024 to N623.05 million, with stated foreign exchange of $459,750.

The payment dates do not always correspond with the trip dates stated in the descriptions. For instance, the payments for Mozambique, Addis Ababa and London were dated March 15, 2024, while the Addis Ababa trip was described as taking place on September 2, 2024.

Other First Lady-related expenditures

The records also contain expenditures relating to the First Lady’s programmes, events, maintenance, refreshments and venue decoration.

They include N107.63 million for multimedia and related services for First Lady programmes for women, youths and children on May 29, 2024.

Another N131.92 million was spent on decoration for State House events connected with First Lady programmes on May 24, 2024.

The records further show N8.74 million for additional services for the First Lady’s 2023 Children’s Christmas Party on March 17, 2024.

There was also N16.13 million for additional services for a three-day First Lady of the Federation event on November 15, 2023.

A further N7.34 million was spent on refreshments for the closing ceremony of ICT training for women hosted by the First Lady on September 14, 2023.

In December 2024, the government recorded N6.91 million for maintenance of fire extinguishers in areas including the First Lady’s office.

These expenditures amount to N278.68 million.

N14.199bn RHI interventions

The foreign-trip expenditure comes as Tinubu has publicly announced or facilitated donations worth at least N14.199 billion through the Renewed Hope Initiative between 2023 and July 2026, according to an analysis of official statements, media reports and events attended by the First Lady.

The interventions covered humanitarian relief, education, healthcare, women empowerment, disability support, agriculture, elderly welfare and disaster response.

The disclosed donations rose from N2.184 billion in 2023 to N3.745 billion in 2024, before increasing to N6.15 billion in 2025 and N2.12 billion in the first seven months of 2026.

In 2023, the interventions included N14.25 million for 57 families affected by flooding at TradeMore Estate in Abuja.

Tinubu also announced 43 scholarships worth N4 million each, to be spread across four academic sessions.

In August 2023, the RHI, in partnership with the National Information Technology Development Agency, launched a digital literacy programme in Benue State, where 35 women received training, N100,000 each and laptop computers.

The First Lady also announced a N100 million grant during the commissioning of a Community ICT Centre in Vandeikya Local Government Area.

The same year, she distributed N50 million to 1,000 female petty traders each in Nasarawa, Kaduna and Edo states as part of a nationwide N1.85 billion programme targeting 37,000 women petty traders.

In September 2023, Tinubu pledged N1 million each to 500 displaced families from Mangu Local Government Area of Plateau State.

On November 16, 2023, the RHI disbursed N427.75 million to 1,709 widows and orphans of fallen military personnel, with each beneficiary receiving N250,000.

In December, Tinubu donated N950 million to police and military retirees as well as elderly citizens under the RHI Elderly Support Scheme.

2024 charity 

In February 2024, the RHI donated $100,000, about N150 million, towards the construction of a hospital for Nigerians living in Sierra Leone.

In March, Tinubu pledged N1 billion towards Nigeria’s campaign to eliminate tuberculosis by 2030.

Following the September 2024 floods in Maiduguri, she donated N500 million to victims through the RHI.

On December 18, 2024, the RHI donated N50 million to support 250 elderly persons in Nasarawa State under its Elderly Support Scheme.

Tinubu said N1.9 billion had been approved for elderly citizens nationwide.

The RHI also donated N50 million to Joseph Ayo Babalola University as an endowment fund for outstanding female graduating students.

On December 20, the initiative distributed 22,800 bags of rice and N95 million to Christian communities across the 19 Northern states for Christmas and New Year celebrations.

2025 donations 

In February 2025, Tinubu donated N100 million to victims of the Niger State tanker explosion.

She also announced a N50 million grant for 1,000 women traders in Kaduna State, distributed 10,000 professional kits to midwives in the North-West and approved N250,000 grants and food items for 200 households of persons with disabilities in Kogi State.

On March 6, Tinubu launched a N1.85 billion business grant scheme for persons with disabilities, providing N200,000 each to 250 beneficiaries in every state and the Federal Capital Territory.

Later in March, she pledged another N1 billion towards tuberculosis eradication.

On May 21, the RHI donated N100 million to the Five Cowries Art Education Initiative.

On July 29, Tinubu announced N1 billion for victims of violent attacks in Plateau State and another N1 billion for victims of the Yelwata attack in Benue State.

On August 6, she announced N1 billion and relief materials for flood victims in Niger State.

On September 19, she donated N500 million to support more than two million flood victims in Borno State.

During the South-East RHI flag-off in October, each of the five South-East First Ladies received N10 million on behalf of female farmers in their respective states.

2026 interventions

On April 16, 2026, the RHI donated N70 million to 140 women farmers in the North-West.

On July 21, Tinubu donated N2 billion to support the development of the Akwete weaving industry in Abia State.

Two days later, on July 23, she distributed N50 million to 1,000 women in Iwo Local Government Area of Osun State to support their small businesses.

The First Lady also expanded the RHI Food Outreach Scheme, which she said was aimed at addressing food insecurity among vulnerable Nigerians.

During a food donation to vulnerable groups in Ondo State, Tinubu, represented by the wife of the Vice President, Hajia Nana Shettima, said the administration would intensify efforts to combat hunger and child malnutrition through community food banks and expanded food outreach programmes.

“No Nigerian should go hungry, that is our mandate and part of our vision for Renewed Hope Initiative,” Tinubu said.

According to her, the Food Outreach Scheme, launched in March 2024, provides food items to persons with disabilities and other vulnerable groups.

She said two donors provide two truckloads of food items to the RHI every month, enabling the initiative to distribute food items to two states monthly.

The identities of the donors were not disclosed.

N25.52bn National Library fundraising

Separate from the First Lady’s publicly disclosed donations, Tinubu announced in December 2025 that the Oluremi @65 Education Fund, launched to mark her 65th birthday on September 21, 2025, had raised N25.52 billion for the construction of the National Library.

The fundraising campaign is not included in the N14.199 billion donation figure because the funds were presented as contributions from donors towards the National Library project rather than direct donations by the First Lady.

Funding of RHI interventions

Tinubu has said the RHI interventions are funded through money raised from individuals and organisations and not government funds.

While announcing a N1 billion donation to victims of attacks in Plateau State, she said: “Please understand that the money I have for this initiative is not government funds. It is money I have personally raised to help others.”

Speaking in Kogi State, she also disclosed that the National Nutrition Intervention Fund started with N3 billion raised through donations, while businessman Tony Elumelu contributed another N1 billion.

“I am not spending government money. I am spending money donated to me by different people,” she said.

Calls for accountability

The National President of the Association for Public Policy Analysis, Prince Okorie, questioned the source of funds behind the donations and raised concerns over how much of the money would reach beneficiaries.

Reacting to the N2 billion Akwete intervention, Okorie asked how much of the money would reach the women involved in the industry.

Nigeria Country Director of Accountability Lab, Friday Odeh, also called for greater scrutiny of the funding and disbursement of the donations.

Odeh said the scale of the interventions raised questions about the funding structure behind them and called for greater disclosure.

The Chancellor of the International Society for Social Justice and Human Rights, Comrade Omenazu Jackson, similarly called for transparency over the sources and management of the funds.

Jackson said Nigerians should be able to establish whether the donations were funded from Tinubu’s personal income and investments, private donations, development partners, corporate organisations or government institutions.

He also called for disclosure of the legal basis for any government financial or material support to programmes associated with the First Lady.

Jackson said such questions should not be interpreted as allegations against the First Lady but as legitimate inquiries concerning transparency, accountability and public financial management.

The First Lady’s office and the Renewed Hope Initiative have maintained that the donations are raised through contributions and are not government funds.