President Bola Ahmed Tinubu has ended his extended working vacation in Europe and departed Paris, France, for Nigeria after 30 days abroad, with his aircraft expected to arrive at the Murtala Muhammed International Airport, Lagos, later on Tuesday, September 29, 2026.
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Tinubu departed Abuja on August 30, 2026, for what the Presidency initially announced as a three-week working vacation in Europe. The period from August 30 to September 29 represents 30 elapsed days outside the country. The Presidency subsequently announced on September 21 that the vacation had been extended by a few days.
His Special Adviser on Information and Strategy, Bayo Onanuga, announced the President’s departure from Paris, saying Tinubu had concluded the working vacation and begun his homeward journey.
According to the Presidency, Tinubu will return through Lagos rather than Abuja because he is scheduled to participate in activities honouring the late Chief Moshood Kashimawo Olawale Abiola, the presumed winner of the June 12, 1993 presidential election and a prominent figure in Nigeria’s pro-democracy struggle.
Onanuga said the President would attend the premiere of a film honouring Abiola at the Wole Soyinka National Theatre, Iganmu, Lagos, on Nigeria’s Independence Day, October 1.
The Presidency also said Tinubu would remain in Lagos for several days, where he is expected to hold strategic meetings with political leaders and associates as preparations intensify for the 2027 general election, before subsequently returning to Abuja.
Tinubu had left Abuja on August 30, with London, United Kingdom, as the first destination of the vacation. The State House initially announced that he would spend three weeks on annual leave before returning to the country.
The Presidency later said he spent a week in London before moving to Paris, France, where he continued to conduct meetings and receive briefings while describing the trip as a “working vacation.” On September 21, Onanuga announced that the President would extend the vacation by a few days.
During the period in Paris, Tinubu met French President Emmanuel Macron and businessman Vincent Bolloré of the Bolloré Group.
The Presidency said Tinubu’s discussions with Bolloré centred on expanded investment in Nigeria’s creative and digital economy. Bolloré Group’s interests include Canal+, MultiChoice and Universal Music Group. The State House said the discussions covered film and entertainment, fibre-optic infrastructure and other areas of Nigeria’s growing digital economy.
Tinubu also met Femi Otedola, Chairman of First HoldCo, on Monday, according to the statement announcing his return.
One of the major economic engagements during his stay in Paris was the signing of Memoranda of Understanding between the Ogun State Government and DP World MEA FZE for the development of the Gateway Deep Sea Port and the Ogun State Blue Marine Special Economic Zone.
Tinubu witnessed the signing ceremony in Paris alongside officials including the Minister of Marine and Blue Economy and other Nigerian government representatives.
According to the Presidency, the agreements envisage more than $7 billion in initial investment and are projected, when fully developed, to create more than 50,000 direct jobs as well as additional indirect employment opportunities.
The proposed Gateway Deep Sea Port is expected to accommodate larger, deeper-draft vessels and provide another trade and logistics gateway for Nigeria, while the proposed Blue Marine Special Economic Zone is to cover about 10,000 hectares.
Tinubu said at the signing that the Federal Government would provide regulatory and institutional support for the projects, describing the investments as part of the administration’s economic diversification strategy.
The President’s prolonged stay abroad had, however, generated political and constitutional debate, particularly after his initially announced three-week vacation elapsed and the Presidency subsequently extended his stay.
The Presidency maintained throughout the period that Tinubu remained engaged in the affairs of government while abroad and continued to issue directives and receive briefings. In its September 21 statement announcing the extension, the State House cited his directive for an investigation into the deaths of 37 suspected illegal miners in Niger State as one example of presidential action taken while he was abroad.
Vice President Kashim Shettima was also delegated to represent Tinubu at a number of official engagements, including the 81st Session of the United Nations General Assembly in New York.
Tinubu’s absence from the UN General Assembly and the extension of his stay abroad prompted criticism and questions from opposition politicians and parties about the exercise of presidential authority while he was outside the country.
The Presidency rejected suggestions that the President was unable to perform his functions, maintaining that he was working remotely and remained in communication with government officials.
Tinubu’s return on September 29 therefore brings to an end a trip that began on August 30 — 30 days earlier and which took him first to London and subsequently to Paris.
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