Nigerian President Bola Tinubu has reduced the Nigerian delegation for the upcoming session of the United Nations General Assembly (UNGA) by ordering the Federal Ministry of Foreign Affairs to issue visas only to Nigerian government officials, who will directly take part in the event, according to the government's statement.
"President Bola Tinubu has directed the Federal Ministry of Foreign Affairs to freeze the processing of visas for all government officials seeking to travel to New York for the United Nations General Assembly without proof of direct participation in UNGA's official schedule of activities," the statement read.
Moreover, Nigeria's Permanent Mission in New York, the United States, was directed to "prevent and stop the accreditation of any government official," not included in the approved protocol lists. The US Mission in Nigeria also received the guidelines on official visa processing, the document said.
In addition, all Federal Ministries, Departments and Agencies were directed to make sure that the officials taking part in the UNGA, "strictly limit the number of aides and associated staff partaking in the event," the document outlined.
"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.
The measure was taken "as part of a broader effort to reduce the cost of governance in Nigeria."
As for other Tinubu's steps of optimizing state expenditures on governance, on Monday, the president set a non-negotiable standard for accountability and excellence among the ministers, noting that he will not tolerate incompetence and underperformance.