Tinubu heads to Makkah for Umrah amid criticism of foreign trips

President Bola Ahmed Tinubu will depart Abuja on Thursday for Makkah, Saudi Arabia, to perform Umrah, the Islamic lesser pilgrimage, and pray for Nigeria’s peace, unity, stability and progress.

Bayo Onanuga, Special Adviser to the President on Information and Strategy, announced the trip in a statement on Wednesday.

According to Onanuga, the visit will provide the President an opportunity for spiritual reflection and devotion, during which he will seek Allah’s guidance and blessings for Nigeria and its people.

Before departing Abuja, Tinubu is scheduled to commission equipment acquired by the Nigerian Air Force at the Presidential Wing of the Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport.

The President is expected to return to Nigeria next week after completing the religious rites.

Tinubu’s planned trip comes against the backdrop of recurring criticism by opposition parties and other Nigerians over the frequency and cost of his foreign travels, particularly amid the country’s economic difficulties and security challenges.

Bar & Bench Watch reports that the planned pilgrimage is not Tinubu’s first visit to Makkah for Umrah.

In January 2023, while still the presidential candidate of the All Progressives Congress, he travelled to Saudi Arabia for the lesser pilgrimage after spending time in London.

He returned to Makkah in November 2023, following official engagements in Riyadh, where he attended the Saudi-Africa Summit.

During that visit, he prayed for Nigeria’s prosperity and sought divine guidance for his leadership.

The President’s subsequent international engagements have also attracted scrutiny over their frequency, duration and cost.

In November 2024, opposition parties criticised his foreign travels, with a report by The PUNCH estimating that he had visited 17 countries on 30 foreign trips during his first 18 months in office.

In April 2025, the Peoples Democratic Party, New Nigeria Peoples Party and Coalition of United Political Parties renewed their criticism of the President and Vice-President Kashim Shettima over their overseas travels.

The groups argued that frequent absences could weaken governance and questioned the priority given to foreign engagements while Nigerians faced economic hardship.

The African Democratic Congress also criticised Tinubu’s planned trips to Japan and Brazil in August 2025, arguing that the frequency of his travels was excessive and that the country needed stronger attention to domestic challenges.

Former Labour Party presidential candidate Peter Obi similarly questioned the President’s overseas engagements amid insecurity and economic difficulties.

The Presidency and the ruling All Progressives Congress have, however, defended Tinubu’s international engagements, arguing that diplomatic visits can attract investment, strengthen international relations and advance Nigeria’s economic interests.

While the immediate purpose of the latest trip is religious rather than diplomatic, it is likely to renew the wider debate over the frequency of presidential travel and the balance between international engagements and attention to domestic challenges.

For now, the Presidency says Tinubu’s visit is intended to provide an opportunity to pray for Nigeria’s peace, unity, stability and continued progress.

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