In a proactive move aimed at reducing the cost of governance, President Bola Tinubu has issued a directive to significantly cut down the size of official delegations by 60% during both state and international events. The announcement, made by the Special Adviser to the President on Media and Publicity, Ajuri Ngelale, highlights a series of measures to instill prudence and efficiency in resource management.
Under the new guidelines, the President will now travel with only 20 officials, down from the previous entourage size of over 50 individuals. Similarly, the Vice President’s entourage has been reduced to five officials, while both the First Lady and the wife of the Vice President will travel with five officials each.
For local trips, the number of accompanying officials has been streamlined to 25 for the President, 15 for the Vice President, and 10 each for the First Lady and the wife of the Vice President.
Ngelale emphasized that the essence of these reductions is to ensure fiscal responsibility and streamline the management of resources. The move is part of President Tinubu’s commitment to promoting financial prudence in the conduct of government affairs.
The directive extends to ministerial delegations on foreign trips, capping the number of officials at a maximum of four. Heads of Ministries, Departments, and Agencies (MDAs) will travel with a maximum of two officials for international engagements.
On local trips, the President has mandated a reduction in the size of security entourages to avoid excessive costs related to duty travel allowances. Ngelale warned that any official who fails to comply with the directive does so at their own peril.
The new guidelines have been communicated through a circular issued by the office of the Secretary to the Government of the Federation (SGF) to various ministries, departments, and agencies. This directive reflects the administration’s commitment to fiscal discipline and responsible use of public resources.
