President Bola Tinubu has extended his overseas vacation by a few days and is expected to return to Nigeria by the weekend.
In a statement issued on Monday, Bayo Onanuga, presidential spokesman, said Tinubu had continued to keep in touch with officials home and directed the affairs of the nation since beginning the vacation.
Tinubu departed Nigeria on August 30 for London to begin the working vacation.
After spending a week in London, he moved to Paris, France, where he met with French President Emmanuel Macron and Vincent Bollore, businessman whose media group includes Canal+, Multichoice, and Universal Music Group.
Onanuga said Tinubu had delegated Vice President Kashim Shettima to represent him at some official functions while he was away.
He said although Shettima left Abuja on September 20 for New York to attend the 81st United Nations General Assembly (UNGA), George Akume, secretary to the government of the federation (SGF), who has also been representing the president at events, would continue to do so.
Onanuga dismissed what he described as “baseless insinuations” by former Vice-President Atiku Abubakar and his lobbying firm in the United States over Tinubu’s non-attendance at UNGA.
He said Shettima, who is representing the president at the global conference, would present Nigeria’s national statement.
The president also took his 2025 annual vacation in September, spending 10 days away.
Also described as a working vacation, Tinubu spent the period in the United Kingdom (UK) and France.
The president’s 2026 vacation after Vice-President Kashim Shettima concluded a two-week vacation.
Stanley Nkwocha, senior special assistant on media and communications (office of the vice-president), had described the leave as Shettima’s first since assuming office.
The president’s latest foreign trip comes after his 12-day diplomatic tour of Japan and Brazil, with stopovers in Dubai and Los Angeles.
Tinubu had departed Nigeria on August 15, stopped over in Dubai, United Arab Emirates (UAE), and arrived in Yokohama, Japan, on August 18.
While in Japan, the president attended the ninth Tokyo international conference on African development (TICAD9).
In Brazil, Tinubu met with President Luiz da Silva and senior Brazilian officials.
Both leaders signed memoranda of understanding covering aviation, foreign affairs, science and technology, and agriculture.
The president returned to Nigeria on August 28.
In April, Tinubu spent 19 days in France and the UK on private visits.
