President Bola Tinubu has decided to limit the official convoys of Ministers, Ministers of State, and Heads of Federal Government Agencies to just three vehicles. Three cars for all their official needs! This new directive, which was unveiled on Thursday in a statement ominously titled “President Tinubu Issues New Directives on Reduction in Cost of Governance,” is part of a broader strategy to rein in government spending and promote fiscal responsibility.
According to Mr. Bayo Onanuga, the Special Adviser to the President on Information and Strategy, this cost-cutting measure is aimed at not only trimming the excesses of government officials but also setting a precedent for a more modest approach to governance. The President is adamant: “No additional vehicles will be assigned to them for movement.” So much for those grand motorcades that have become synonymous with power!
This isn’t the first time President Tinubu has stepped in with such cost-reduction measures. Back in January 2024, he also mandated a significant cut in his own entourage for foreign trips, reducing the number from 50 to a more manageable 20 officials. For local trips, he cut the entourage down to 25, while the Vice President was instructed to operate with just five officials during international travels and a leaner 15 for domestic ones.
In an effort to ensure their safety, the President has also restricted the security personnel assigned to these officials to just five individuals, specifically comprising four police officers and one officer from the Department of State Services (DSS). And, just to hammer the point home, Tinubu stated, “No additional security personnel will be assigned.”
But he didn’t stop there. The President has instructed the National Security Adviser to liaise with military, paramilitary, and security agencies to see if they can also tighten their belts when it comes to the number of vehicles and security personnel deployed.
This new regime of restrictions underscores a serious shift in the administration’s approach to governance, emphasizing austerity in a nation where government excess has often been the norm. The Presidency has made it clear that all affected officials are expected to comply immediately, stressing the urgency of these changes. It looks like the era of government officials flaunting their wealth and power through extravagant motorcades may be on its way out.
