Human rights lawyer and presidential candidate of the African Action Congress, Omoyele Sowore, has sharply criticised President Bola Tinubu’s ongoing state visit to the United Kingdom, describing it as a “diplomatic excursion” with little or no benefit to Nigeria.
Speaking during an appearance on The Morning Brief on Wednesday, Sowore questioned the value of the historic two-day visit—the first by a Nigerian leader to the UK in nearly four decades.
He also took aim at the optics of the trip, suggesting that personal reasons, including possible health concerns, could be among the motivations behind the president’s travel.
“These visits are nothing more than diplomatic excursions. Perhaps the president will also see his doctors; he has not travelled in about a month,” Sowore said.
The activist-politician argued that beyond the ceremonial display and media coverage, the visit offers no tangible gains for Nigeria.
“Beyond the fanfare you are seeing on TV, it’s not bringing anything to Nigeria that Nigeria cannot get or should not have. That’s the point I’m making, and we are just deceiving ourselves all the time,” he added.
Sowore further challenged the Tinubu administration’s justification for frequent foreign trips, which officials say are aimed at attracting foreign investment. According to him, there is little evidence to support such claims since Tinubu assumed office in May 2023.
“The cost of these travels is far more at the end, outweighing whatever we come from the so-called investment they claim is going to happen,” he said, describing the trips as wasteful.
He maintained that a stable domestic environment would naturally attract investors without the need for frequent international travel.
“If you have it right, investors will come to your country. You don’t need to travel. Nigeria is just burning fuel in the air with our aircraft,” he said.
In a comparative swipe, Sowore suggested that Nigerian entertainers often generate more economic value abroad than official diplomatic trips.
“Sometimes, some of our musicians who perform in the UK bring more money into the country than when the president travels,” he noted.
President Tinubu, accompanied by First Lady Oluremi Tinubu, arrived in London on Tuesday via Stansted Airport. The visit includes scheduled meetings with King Charles III and Keir Starmer, alongside bilateral talks aimed at strengthening ties between both nations.