Abuja, 13 July 2025 – President Bola Ahmed Tinubu has returned to Nigeria following a two-week official tour to Saint Lucia and Brazil, where he focused on strengthening international ties and advancing Nigeria’s foreign policy objectives. His return comes after his whereabouts were unknown for five days following the BRICS Summit in Rio de Janeiro.
The President arrived in Abuja on Saturday evening at the Presidential Wing of the Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport. He was welcomed by a delegation of senior officials, including the Minister for Budget and Economic Planning, Alh Abubakar Atiku; Alh Ibrahim Masari; Senator Aliyu Wamakko; the Minister for Defence, Muhammed Bello Matawalle; and the National Security Adviser, Nuhu Ribadu.
President Tinubu departed Abuja on 28 June, beginning his journey with a state visit to Saint Lucia in the Caribbean. The visit was designed to enhance diplomatic, cultural, and development cooperation between Nigeria and the Organisation of Eastern Caribbean States (OECS), marking a significant step in fostering relations with the region. It aligned with Nigeria’s “Four D’s” foreign policy framework—Democracy, Development, Diaspora, and Demography—and supported the African Union’s Sixth Region agenda, which emphasises the role of the African diaspora in continental progress.
From Saint Lucia, President Tinubu travelled to Brazil to attend the BRICS Summit in Rio de Janeiro. During his stay, he held bilateral discussions with Brazilian President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva, exploring avenues for trade expansion and collaboration in areas such as energy transition, science, and space technology. The engagements were aimed at bolstering South-South cooperation, promoting infrastructure development, educational initiatives, and youth empowerment, while reinforcing Nigeria’s economic reforms on the global stage.
However, these visits have drawn significant criticism from opposition parties and civil society groups, who argue that President Tinubu’s frequent foreign trips represent wasteful spending amid Nigeria’s pressing domestic challenges, including economic hardship, insecurity, and inflation. Figures such as Peter Obi, the Labour Party’s 2023 presidential candidate, have voiced concerns over the timing and necessity of such engagements, questioning whether they yield tangible benefits like substantial foreign investments or merely serve as opportunities for globetrotting while citizens suffer. Doubts remain about the actual returns from these trips, with some analysts pointing out that despite claims of attracting over $50 billion in foreign direct investment, the evidence of real economic impact on the ground is scant, exacerbating perceptions of a disconnect between the presidency and the Nigerian people.
