Tinubu Defends Foreign Trip as Vital to National Security and Economy

President Bola Tinubu has faced a wave of public criticism for proceeding with his scheduled visits to South Africa and Angola amid a recent spike in killings and kidnappings, including the devastating abduction of schoolgirls in Kebbi State. However, the Presidency has moved to swiftly address the concerns, detailing the strategic rationale behind the President’s decision to prioritize these international engagements, particularly the high-stakes G20 Summit.

The President’s Special Assistant on Social Media, Dada Olusegun, took to his social media platform to outline the multifaceted reasons for maintaining the itinerary, portraying the trip not as an escape from domestic crises, but as a crucial pillar of the nation’s strategic response.

The core of the argument rests on the diplomatic significance of the G20 Summit being held on African soil for the first time. Olusegun emphasized that President Tinubu’s presence is vital to signify Nigeria’s recognition of this continental milestone and, more importantly, to seize the opportunity to champion Africa’s future and concerns within global economic and political affairs.

Beyond symbolic presence, the Presidency sees the forum as indispensable to Nigeria’s economic goals. The trips are framed as an avenue for the President to build on past successes and engage global partners to shape policies and exchange ideas on issues that directly impact the world economy and, by extension, Nigeria’s fiscal health. Crucially, the summit is seen as a key platform to uncover new business opportunities for Nigeria, as the country seeks to significantly strengthen its existing relations and establish new ones with global business leaders and investors. The focus here is on leveraging the G20’s collective economic weight to support Nigeria’s ongoing domestic reforms.

Significantly, the President’s team insists that the trips directly address the nation’s most pressing concern: security. With security expected to be atop the discussions at the G20, the summit provides President Tinubu with an unparalleled platform to articulate Nigeria’s true security situation on a global stage. This high-level engagement is seen as essential for forging regional and global partnerships necessary to combat terrorism effectively, both within Nigeria and across the wider sub-Saharan African region. Furthermore, the global stage allows the President to transparently discuss the ongoing reforms in Nigeria with international partners, which is critical for maintaining investor confidence and securing foreign backing for his administration’s economic blueprint.

To assuage concerns about a governance vacuum, the Presidency detailed a clear division of labour designed to ensure operational continuity at home. Vice President Kashim Shettima has been designated to visit Kebbi State, the epicenter of the most recent schoolgirls’ kidnapping incident. Meanwhile, security forces and federal agencies have been issued explicit orders to prioritize rescue and relief operations. This dual approach, according to the Presidency, allows the President to pursue strategic, multilateral solutions and high-level partnerships abroad while the Vice President and security chiefs handle the immediate, domestic response, ensuring both global and local exigencies are addressed without sacrificing one for the other.