It has come to light what the purported expense of sending Nigeria’s delegates to the current COP28 Climate Change Summit in Dubai, United Arab Emirates (UAE), is.
According to Anaedoonline.ng, President Bola Tinubu has drawn criticism for the large number of Nigerian delegates attending the COP28 Climate Change Summit, which is now taking place in Dubai.
Nigeria apparently sent the third-highest number of delegates—1,411—to the summit despite the harsh consequences of the economic crisis, which is primarily the result of the actions of the Tinubu administration.
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The presidency did clarify that, out of the 1,411 delegates, fewer than 100 were paid by the federal government through Ministries, Departments, and Agencies (MDAs).
BusinessDay reports that 590 of the 1,411 attendees were given free tickets by the Nigerian government to attend the conference; the estimated cost of these delegates’ round-trip airfare is N885 million.
The newspaper used flight rates from foreign airline carriers to calculate the price. When attending conferences abroad, the federal government seldom ever charters local airlines, according to aviation industry sources who would like not to be identified.
Despite having local operators with permission to fly directly to some of the countries, the government prefers to hire international flight operators and pay them in foreign currency for charter services.
When the remainder of the entourage charters an overseas aircraft, the president is known to utilise one of the ten presidential fleets. In 2019, the total cost of servicing each Presidential aircraft increased by 99.6% to N7.297 billion.
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The publication reported that an average international airline operator check revealed that the cost of a two-way ticket from Nigeria to Dubai is N1.5 million.
It said that the president, seven ministers, the chief of staff, five director generals, a number of directors, deputy directors, assistant directors, and other officials with various titles are part of the Nigerian delegation. Among them is well-known businessman Gilbert Ramex Chagouri, who is listed as a minister and is referred to as the “President’s Confidente.”
According to a BusinessDay research, each traveler’s estacode is determined by their level. Ministers receive an estacode of $900 a day, or $11,7000 per minister for the duration of the conference, which is held over 13 days. Permanent secretaries receive $600 each month for a total of $7,800.
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According to the newspaper, officers at levels 15–17 are paid $425, for a total compensation of $5,525. Levels 1-6 receive $206, amounting to $2,678 for the 13 days, while levels 7–14 receive $381 totaling $4,953.
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