President Tinubu bars FGN officials with no direct UNGA link from travelling to US

The United Nations General Assembly is taking place in New York City, and President Bola Tinubu has ordered the Federal Ministry of Foreign Affairs to stop issuing visas to any government officials planning to attend.

This afternoon, the President issued an order that is thought to be part of a larger effort to lower the cost of governance in Nigeria, according to a statement released by the President’s media adviser, Ajuri Ngelale.

It was clarified that the order was directed at anyone who could not provide documentation of their attendance at formal UNGA events.

The Nigerian presidency also noted that the Nigerian permanent mission in New York has been instructed not to accredit any government official who is not included on the protocol lists forwarded by the approving authority, and that the U.S. mission in Nigeria has been instructed on how to process official visas.

“By this Presidential instruction, all Federal Ministries, Departments, and Agencies are required to guarantee that all officials who are approved for membership in the UNGA delegation tightly limit the number of aides and associated employees participating in the event. During the final verification phase, any excesses or irregularities will be eliminated.

Further, “the President wishes to affirm that, henceforth, government officials and government expenditure must reflect the prudence and sacrifice being made by well-meaning Nigerians across the nation,” the statement said.