Nigerias President Bola Tinubutraveled to Franceon Monday for a work stay on a newly acquired private jet, sparking criticism as the West African nation endures a cost-of-living crisis.

TheAirbus A330 business jet, now registered to the Nigerian Air Force, left the capital Abuja for Nice, according to FlightRadar24. The model, typically used as a twin-aisle passenger jet, was purchased last month for $100 million, according to Premium Times. It had been advertised on Aircraft24, a platform to buy and sell aircraft.

The latest addition to Nigerias presidential fleet prompted an outcry on social media, coming amid a cost-of-living crisis thats triggered unrest in Africas most populous nation. At least 21 people died in Aug. 1 protests, after security forces cracked down, according to Amnesty International. Nearly half of the people in Nigeria live in extreme poverty.

The decision to buy a presidential jet while people are going through a horrifying economic hardship shows the insensitivity of this administration, Peter Obi, the second runner-up to Tinubu in the 2023 presidential election, said in a post on X. It has also exposed multiple dimensions to our leadership failure and our insensitivity to the plight of the growing poor class in our midst.

Inflation accelerated to a 28-year high of 34.2% in June in Nigeria before slowing in July to 33.4%. Pump prices have more than doubled after Tinubu cut gasoline subsidies, while the local currency has depreciated by 70% since June last year.

The A330 was acquired from AMAC Aerospace, according to data on tracking website planespotters.net. The aircraft was previously owned by Midroc Aviation. (BusinessDay)