According to Ademola Oshodi, his Senior Special Assistant on Foreign Affairs, President Bola Tinubu's intensive foreign engagements have brought Nigeria international prominence and strengthened international connections that will benefit regular Nigerians. Speaking on Channels Television's Morning Brief on Monday, Oshodi claimed that the trips had improved Nigeria's standing with multilateral organizations and other foreign partners.
In my field of expertise, global affairs, I can attest that the Nigerian administration has been well praised for its changes in response to current events.
Its reforms have been praised by independent global agencies such as the World Bank and the IMF. According to him, the Nigerian reform path has been viewed as a kind of blueprint for how reforms ought to be implemented.
President Tinubu and Vice President Kashim Shettima have made 69 travels to 35 countries during their 33 months in government, totaling 315 days, or more than 10 months, on overseas engagements, according to a Sunday PUNCH research.
According to the data, Tinubu has spent 245 days overseas, traveling to 28 different countries on 47 separate occasions. He has accrued more than 380 flying hours and traveled almost 240,000 nautical miles (445,000 kilometers).
From Tinubu's first trip in June 2023 to his return on February 1, 2026, the numbers were compiled from all officially stated presidential visits as reported in State House statements, government sources, and public flight data.
Tinubu has made eleven trips to Paris, France; nine trips to London, the United Kingdom; four trips to Abu Dhabi and Dubai in the United Arab Emirates; and three trips to Rio de Janeiro and Brasilia, Brazil, among other places.
Shettima, on the other hand, has been overseas for 70 days, going to 16 different countries on 22 different and frequent excursions. He has flown more than ninety-three hours.
In response to the administration's $9 million lobbying pact with the US-based DCI Group, which has come under fire from US lawmakers, Oshodi said the government needed to do more to present its image outside.
The government isn't doing enough, in my opinion, to make sure that our story and information are heard.
"We don't want the false impression that there is a widespread, Christian-only murder occurring. He acknowledged, "We don't want a situation where people perceive the banditry as political rather than economic."
He cautioned that there may be a "huge national security threat" if the narrative is not controlled.
Comparing the current suffering to reform experiences in other nations, Oshodi advised Nigerians to be patient regarding the economic effects of changes.
There was a tremendous uproar in the UK when Margaret Thatcher implemented her policies and attacked the coal miners. The rate of inflation increased. The same is true in China, where reforms were implemented.
A few years ago, inflation was out of control even in Ghana, where I'm from. Ghana's inflation rate is now 3.6%. Even though it is painful, that is the result of timely reforms," he stated.
Additionally, he emphasized enhanced security collaboration with global partners.
"To ensure that we combat this insurgency and banditry, security entails enlisting the support of the United States and all other global powers." You won't notice this right now, but I'm sure Nigeria is headed in the right direction for stability and development," he continued.
Oshodi referred to First Lady Oluremi Tinubu as "a great soft power for the country" in response to US President Donald Trump's recent recognition of her at the National Prayer Breakfast in Washington.