Nigeria’s [Vice President Kashim Shettima](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kashim_Shettima) said that President [Bola Tinubu](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bola_Tinubu) stayed in constant communication with his team and was updated on national affairs throughout his four‑week stay overseas.
Shettima made the remarks on Saturday after meeting the president at the official residence in Lagos, just four days after Tinubu returned to the country following an extended working vacation.
Speaking to journalists after the meeting, the vice president explained that he and the president spoke “almost every other day” while Tinubu was abroad, receiving regular updates on developments across Nigeria.
“We have been in regular contact throughout his sojourn abroad,” Shettima said. “We speak almost every other day, and we are updating him on developments in the nation, and we are happy he’s back on the beat.”
The statements shed light on how the [Presidency](https://presidency.gov.ng) functioned during Tinubu’s roughly four‑week absence, a period that sparked public debate over the lack of a formal hand‑over to the vice president.
The presidency had previously indicated that Tinubu continued to liaise with officials at home and directed the country’s affairs from abroad.
Among the actions highlighted was the president’s order to set up an independent panel to probe the deaths of 37 illegal miners in Minna.
Shettima added that Tinubu received frequent briefings from his administration throughout his time away.
The vice president also used the occasion to defend the government’s economic agenda, notably the removal of the petrol subsidy and the unification of Nigeria’s multiple exchange rates.
He argued that these measures were taken when the economy was “teetering on the verge of collapse,” and praised Tinubu for having the resolve to push through what he called far‑reaching reforms.
“When we assumed the mantle of leadership, our foreign reserves were a staggeringly low $3.9 billion, insufficient to import oil for even a month,” Shettima noted.
“He saved the economy. I want Nigerians to understand this fundamental truism. We are on the road to recovery. He saved our economy. He saved the nation from falling to pieces.”
Shettima acknowledged the hardships Nigerians are enduring and said the government is working on steps to lessen the impact.
“We appreciate the pains Nigerians are going through, but tough times do not last forever. Tough people do,” he asserted.
He announced that, in the coming weeks, the federal government will roll out new transport and logistics projects in the North‑East, including 10,600 electric tricycles, 300 buses and electric taxis, aimed at easing the burden on residents.
The vice president described the [Nigeria Education Loan Fund (NELFUND)](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nigeria_Education_Loan_Fund) as a key intervention for students from low‑income families, helping them access higher education.
He affirmed that the administration will continue to launch programmes designed to mitigate the difficulties faced by Nigerians.
“Politics is in the air, but we will combine politics and governance,” Shettima said.
Tinubu left Nigeria on 30 August for London on a working vacation, spending a week there before travelling to Paris, where he met French President Emmanuel Macron, businessman Vincent Bolloré and other leaders.
During the Paris visit, he witnessed the signing of an agreement between the Ogun State Government and DP World for a proposed deep‑sea port and economic zone in Ogun Waterside.
The president returned to Nigeria on 29 September, landing at Murtala Muhammed International Airport in Lagos ahead of the nation’s 66th independence celebrations.
He dismissed rumors about his health as politically motivated, insisting he is fit and ready to resume his duties.
“Rumor will always be emanating from politics, but the facts remain, I’m here. Healthy, sound, and ready to go,” he declared. “I am ready to kick, ready to work. There’s nothing wrong.”