Senate President Godswill Akpabio has scrapped his planned journey to Dubai, United Arab Emirates (UAE), for the COP28 Climate Change Summit. Akpabio canceled the trip in response to the widespread disapproval of Nigeria’s large delegation of 1,411 attendees at the summit, particularly accompanying President Bola Tinubu.
Nigerians expressed discontent over the substantial number of delegates, including government officials, representatives from the private sector, and civil society organizations, accompanying President Tinubu. In an attempt to address the public concern, Minister of Information Mohammed Idris stated that the government only financially supported 422 delegates.
Acknowledging the criticism from the public, Akpabio, during a one-day retreat on the 2024 budget in Abuja, revealed that it influenced his decision to forgo the trip. He expressed his commitment to concentrate on the 2024 budget defense sessions involving government agencies and mentioned that he had delegated someone from Cote d’Ivoire to represent him at the summit.