Nigeria’s President Bola Tinubu has returned to Abuja after spending two weeks abroad.
Tinubu returned to his official residence at the Aso Rock Villa, Abuja, in the early hours of Wednesday, PUNCH Online confirmed.
In a tweet on Tuesday evening, Tinubu’s Special Adviser on Information and Strategy, Mr. Bayo Onanuga, revealed, “President Bola Tinubu, along with his aides, will return to Nigeria tomorrow from Europe.”
Two weeks ago, on April 23, 2024, the President departed Abuja for The Netherlands for a three-day official visit, honouring an invitation from the Dutch Prime Minister, Mark Rutte.
While in the Netherlands, he participated in the Nigerian-Dutch Business and Investment Forum, which brought together heads of conglomerates and organisations in both countries.
He also held separate meetings with His Royal Majesty, King Willem-Alexander, and Queen Maxima of the Kingdom.
As earlier announced by his Special Adviser on Media and Publicity, Ajuri Ngelale, Tinubu proceeded from The Netherlands to Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, to attend a World Economic Forum Special Meeting on Global Collaboration, Growth and Energy for Development scheduled for April 28–29.
He joined over 1,000 leaders from business, government, and academia from more than 90 countries to review actions taken since the inaugural Growth Summit held in Geneva, Switzerland, in 2023.
It was his second visit to the Gulf state in five months.
After the summit, however, the President did not return to the country immediately.
Although no official statement was issued on the President’s further engagements, sources within the Presidency confirmed that he proceeded to London for a private visit and was billed to return last weekend.
Tinubu embarked on a similar private visit to London between June 24–28, 2023, where he met his predecessor, Muhammadu Buhari. He had attended the Paris Summit for the New Global Financial Pact days earlier.
His return on Wednesday concludes his 20th foreign trip since assuming office last May, logging 96 days abroad.
So far, he has visited Paris, France (thrice); London, the United Kingdom (twice); Bissau, Guinea-Bissau (twice); Nairobi, Kenya; Porto Norvo, Benin Republic; New Delhi, India; Abu Dhabi and Dubai in the United Arab Emirates; New York, the United States of America; Riyadh, Saudi Arabia (twice); Berlin, Germany; Addis Ababa, Ethiopia; Dakar, Senegal; Doha, Qatar; and The Hague, The Netherlands.
