President Bola Tinubu‘s order for a 60 percent reduction in his travel expenses and number of officials in his entourage on local and international trips seems laudable, but what are his implementation plans?

Development Diaries reports that the president announced that foreign trips would now include only 20 individuals with specific allocations – five for the vice president, four for ministers, and two for agency heads.

President @officialABAT had ordered the mass reduction of personnel traveling with top Government officials on both local and international trips.

He has also directed that his security personnel be heavily reduced during visit to states in Nigeria as the security architecture… pic.twitter.com/TH5fhdRugf

— President Bola Ahmed Tinubu Media Centre (@PBATMediaCentre) January 9, 2024

While this is a commendable move, citizens are left wondering how it would be implemented, especially since the 2024 budget has been signed into law.

In the 2024 Appropriation Bill presented to the country’s National Assembly, the Nigerian presidency, comprising the offices of the president and vice president, budgeted 15.96 billion naira ($19.9 million) for domestic and international trips.

How then does the presidency intend to reduce these travel expenses?

Moreover, it is not the first time that a president in office has announced a significant reduction in administrative spending, only for public waste by government officials to persist.

Former President Muhammadu Buhari, at various times, failed to implement plans to reduce the cost of governance.

For instance, the former president, who pledged to sell a portion of the presidential aircraft, failed to fulfil that promise after getting into office.

Furthermore, the eight years of his administration saw an increase in the cost of governance and debt servicing, despite the promises he made.

As citizens’ trust in government continues to diminish, it will take more than just a pronouncement to make them have a positive mindset about any policy.

A survey conducted by Edelman Intelligence, in its 20th Edelman Trust Barometer Survey report, revealed that the government remains the least trusted, with Nigerians having no confidence in the ability of leaders to address the country’s challenges.

As a result, citizens become less interested in participating in governance, and with this, Nigeria’s drive to attain sustainable development will continue to be slippery.

Building trust will require sustained efforts to promote transparency and accountability and implement policies that genuinely prioritise the well-being of the population, fostering a sense of unity and shared progress.

Development Diaries calls on President Tinubu to explain how he intends to implement this directive, especially since the 2024 budget has been signed into law. We also call on all state governors to adopt this move to reduce the cost of governance.

Photo source:  Bola Tinubu