Nigerian president vows to cut entourages for foreign trips

Nigeria's president on Tuesday announced plans to limit state entourages for foreign trips to cut government spending as Nigerians struggle with the impact of his economic reforms.

The decision came after an outcry over Nigeria registering more than 1,400 delegates for the COP28 climate summit in Dubai last month.

No more than 20 people will now be allowed to join President Bola Ahmed Tinubu on visits abroad, his spokesman said, outlining a series of similar caps for other politicians.

"The president is insistent that the prudence of government officials must reflect the prudence and efficiency of the Nigerian citizens," spokesman Ajuri Ngelale told journalists at the Presidential Villa in the capital Abuja.

Tinubu came to power last year and launched an ambitious reform agenda aimed at attracting more investment in Africa's largest economy and addressing the cost-of-living crisis.

He ended a fuel subsidy and lifted restrictions on the naira currency to improve public finances.

Since then fuel prices have tripled, the naira's value against the dollar has plummeted, and food prices have surged more than 31 percent, according to the World Bank.

But Tinubu says the negative impacts will be temporary and has repeated calls for patience, saying the moves will benefit the country in the long run.

A presidential aide insisted the Dubai trip was not a "jamboree" and said those registered to attend from Nigeria were not necessarily funded by the government.