Buhari, Osinbajo To Spend ₦3.4 Billion On Feeding, Travels in 2021

President Muhammadu Buhari and Vice President Yemi Osinbajo will spend N3.4 billion on feeding and travel expenses this year, 2021.

While Mr Buhari approved about N2.6 billion of the amount for his office, about N873 million was earmarked for Mr Osinbajo’s office.

As in the last five years, travel expenses will take the largest chunk of these expenses, details of the approved budget for the year reviewed by an online news portal revealed.

The same amount was approved for the offices of the first two citizens of the country in 2020. Both offices received less but still significantly high allocations in the four preceding years.

Travels and feeding gulped N1.5 billion in 2019; N1.52 billion in 2018; in 2017, N1.45 billion; and N1.43 billion in 2016.

Presidential travels will gulp N2.4 billion: N775.6 million for local trips and N1.7 billion for international journeys.

On the other hand, Mr Osinbajo will spend N801 million on his travels for the year – N284 million locally and N517.1 million outside the shores of the country.

Meanwhile, the meal bill for the offices of President Buhari and Vice President Osinbajo has been pegged at N195.5 million.

The first family will spend N124 million.

This is the same amount that was approved for the president in each of the last three years. In 2017, N115 million was spent on feeding, while in 2016 N103 million was spent for the same purpose, analysis of the budget for the last five years shows.

Of the N124 million approved for this year, foodstuff and catering materials supplies will gulp N98.3 million, while refreshment and meals will take N25.7 million.

The second family also retained what it spent on feeding in each of the last three years – N71.5 million – this year.

This is decrease from the N88.9 million spent in 2018, but an increase from the meal bills in 2017, N53.7 million, and N24 million in 2016.

Foodstuff and catering materials supplies will account for N50.9 million; refreshment and meals, N18.3 million; and cooking gas and fuel, N2.4 million.