Tinubu and Shettima to Splash ₦12.2 Billion on Trips in 2026 as Budget Details Spark Fresh ‘National Gbas-Gbos’!

While many Nigerians are busy calculating how to survive the month, the 2026 budget has revealed a “jumbo” travel fund for the nation’s top two leaders. President Bola Ahmed Tinubu and Vice President Kashim Shettima are set to spend a whopping ₦12.2 billion on local and international trips this year.

The breakdown of the budget shows that flying around the world and across Nigeria doesn’t come cheap. The billions will cover everything from private jet fuel and maintenance to the hotel bills and “estacode” (travel allowances) for the small army of aides, security men, and specialists who travel with them.

As soon as these numbers hit the public, social media went into a “meltdown.” Many Nigerians are asking why the travel budget is so high at a time when the government is asking everyone else to “tighten their belts.” Critics argue that this money could have been used to fix crumbling hospitals or provide more buses for the poor.

However, the Presidency isn’t backing down. According to government spokespersons, these trips aren’t for “sightseeing.” They claim the President needs to be physically present at global summits to convince foreign billionaires to bring their businesses to Nigeria. “You have to spend money to make money,” one official stated.

Whether these 12-billion-naira trips will actually bring back trillions in investment remains to be seen, but for now, the “travel bill” is the biggest talking point in the 2026 budget.