ICIR
ESTIMATES by The Internation Centre for Investigative Reporting (ICIR), from its independent findings, have shown that the Nigerian Government might have spent N1.09 billion on round-trip flights for all participants it sponsored to the ongoing COP28 Climate Summit in Dubai, United Arab Emirates (UAE).
Following uproar from Nigerians on social media, questioning why the Federal Government funded ‘1,411 delegates’ to the event amidst the prevailing economic hardship the nation faced, the Information Minister, Mohammed Idris, clarified that the government only sponsored 422 persons.
According to Idris, Nigeria’s representation aligns with its status as Africa’s leading sovereign voice and player in climate action.
The minister also noted that several delegates were sponsored by the state governments and civil society organisations, among others.
Still, Nigerians have continued to condemn the sponsorship of 422 delegates representing the country, citing the country’s current economic downturn.
Upon close observation of the list, The ICIRalso discovered that some delegates labelled as government officials did not have a climate portfolio or direct responsibility that justified their attendance at the conference.
To arrive at the estimated funds spent on the participants by the Federal Government, The ICIR checked through a travel website, Wakanow, for the average cost of a round trip within a week from Lagos to Dubai. The results from five airlines showed an average cost of N2.5 million.
AirlineAmountEgypt Air2,135,854Qatar Airways2,213,394South African Airways2,616,580Ethiopian Airlines3,027,297Kenya Airways2,918,094
(The cost of a trip to and from Lagos to Dubai in one week on Wakanow)
Using the average cost of N2.5 million above as an estimate, it translates to spending N1.09 billion for flying 442 people from Nigeria to Dubai from Lagos Airport.
This amount excludes feeding, per diem, transport allowance, and other benefits the government or the host country provides for attending the conference.
Reacting to our findings, Celestine Okeke, a social critic and associate consultant at the British Department for International Development (DFID), described sponsorship as ‘embarrassing.’ He noted that the President Bola Tinubu-led administration had not shown the capacity to cut the cost of governance…
