National Telescope national telescope newspaper
President Bola Tinubu has left the United Kingdom for Paris, France, where he is expected to attend an “important engagement.”
This was confirmed by the President’s Senior Special Assistant on Political and Other Matters, Ibrahim Masari, on his official X handle, @KabirIbrah64, on Friday.
Masari posted, “Today, I had the honor of visiting President Asiwaju Bola Tinubu GCFR at his private residence in the United Kingdom, where we engaged in productive discussions. We then departed for Paris, France, for another important engagement.”
Although no details were provided about the purpose of the Paris trip, it is clear that this forms part of Tinubu’s broader international engagements.
President Tinubu had left Nigeria on October 2 for a two-week working vacation in the UK, which is part of his annual leave.
Bayo Onanuga, his Special Adviser on Information and Strategy, confirmed this in a statement titled ‘President Tinubu goes on annual leave.’
According to Onanuga, “The President will use the two weeks as a working vacation and a retreat to reflect on his administration’s economic reforms. He is expected back in the country once the leave expires.”
Since assuming office about 17 months ago, President Tinubu has made Paris his 28th foreign destination, marking his fourth visit to France.
His international travels also include trips to Equatorial Guinea, Guinea-Bissau, the United Kingdom, Kenya, the Benin Republic, South Africa, Ghana, India, the United Arab Emirates, the United States, Saudi Arabia, Germany, Ethiopia, Senegal, and Qatar.
Observers have speculated about the nature of Tinubu’s engagements in Paris, with some suggesting they might be related to ongoing diplomatic efforts or further discussions on Nigeria’s economic reforms.
A close source noted, “The President’s frequent trips are indicative of his administration’s focus on building strong international partnerships to address Nigeria’s economic challenges.”
