Senator Shehu Sani Highlights Economic Gains from President Tinubu's International Visits

Senator Shehu Sani, a former federal lawmaker, has praised President Bola Tinubu’s international engagements for yielding tangible economic benefits for Nigeria. In a post shared on his X handle, Sani noted that Tinubu’s travels to Saudi Arabia, Brazil, France, China, and South Africa have had a marked difference compared to the historically criticized foreign trips of previous administrations.

Sani highlighted Brazil’s $4.2 billion grant aimed at bolstering Nigeria’s agricultural sector as a particularly significant achievement, emphasizing that it will be distributed across local governments nationwide.

“The history of presidential foreign travels in this country has been infamously known to be wasteful. There is an evidently notable difference this time around.

“The President’s visit to Saudi, Brazil, France, China, and South Africa attracted verifiable and practical economic gains for Nigeria,” he wrote.

He further expressed his satisfaction with Nigeria’s foreign direct investment (FDI) growth, which reportedly increased by 248.1% ($103.82 million) in the third quarter of 2024, attributing part of this progress to the government’s efforts to secure international partnerships.

Sani concluded with a simple yet powerful remark: “To travel and come back with something huge is ok; to travel and come back with nothing is not ok.”

Observers have commended the focus on practical outcomes from these diplomatic engagements, though some have called for continued transparency and accountability in ensuring that the benefits reach all Nigerians.