Sunday Dare, the Special Adviser on Public Communication and Orientation to President Bola Tinubu, has offered a detailed defense of the President’s frequent foreign trips, highlighting their critical importance to Nigeria’s growth and development.
The comments from Dare come amid widespread criticism from Nigerians who have expressed concerns over the President’s travel patterns, which many have labeled as excessive. Critics have argued that Tinubu should prioritize addressing domestic challenges rather than embarking on frequent international engagements.
In an interview with Premium Times, Dare provided context for these trips, explaining that President Tinubu, who has only been in office for 18 months, is not yet widely recognized internationally at the level of a head of state. He emphasized that the President’s foreign trips serve as a platform to establish Nigeria’s presence on the global stage and advance its interests.
Dare described President Tinubu as Nigeria’s “marketing chief,” asserting that the President plays a vital role in representing the nation and making compelling pitches to world leaders. He drew parallels with past administrations, noting that similar criticisms were made of former Presidents Olusegun Obasanjo, Umaru Yar’Adua, Goodluck Jonathan, and Muhammadu Buhari, who also faced scrutiny for their international travels. He highlighted that many of these trips are non-negotiable, as they are tied to significant global events like the United Nations General Assembly and G20 meetings, which are crucial for diplomatic engagement.
Dare said, “I think every administration has been dogged by this same perception of the president travelling too many times. Recall that under Obasanjo, there was some massive documentation of his trips. I remember Obasanjo’s response then: ‘I am the chief diplomat. I have to go and make pitches for this country. I have to go out there and engage with other world leaders.’ When Obasanjo left, we had Yar’Adua. When Jonathan came, the same issues came up. Buhari came, and the same problems about travelling too much came up. Some of these trips are programmed in the world’s calendar. Going to the UN General Assembly and the G20; these meetings are almost cast in stone. We have to make a choice. Do we want the president present or absent from that table because he is Nigerian? And when he goes to these places, you see other world leaders who are presidents like him, who flew from their countries for that meeting. There’s a justification for it.”
He further elaborated that many of these trips are undertaken based on consultations with ministers and foreign affairs experts, who advise the President on the importance of attending specific events to Nigeria’s interests. Dare underscored that while other diplomats and ministers are involved in representing Nigeria, there is no substitute for the presence and direct communication of the President himself.
“For Nigerians, the president is well known. But globally, he has only been president for 18 months. The world does not know him at the level of a president. So he needs to open doors and open windows. He needs to go out. And these trips will eventually reduce. Governance, as we have it and as we have had it, is about institutions. Are these institutions in place? Are they functional? The mere fact that a president sits at home and doesn’t go anywhere doesn’t mean he’s going to succeed. If he’s at home 365 days a year and the institutions of government are not working well, his presence alone won’t change that,” he added.
He also drew a comparison to the United States, emphasizing the strength of its institutions. “When you look at the American government as it is today, it’s about institutions. Those institutions have stood the test of time. America once had a bedridden president in a wheelchair who had no cognitive ability for years without people knowing. Yet the institutions powered by the Constitution ensured America functioned perfectly. So, these trips are justified. We might disagree as to the level of their justification, but I don’t see this president embarking on trips just like a flight of fancy.”
