President Muhammadu Buhari has departed for London to attend a conference that he should have joined via the Internet.

The presidency announced on Monday that Mr Buhari will be in London to attend the Global Education Summit. Although the presidency admitted Mr Buhari will be embarking on medical vacation after the conference, the Nigerian leader will be heading to the UK from July 26, two days before the programme was scheduled to kick off on July 28.

The two-day event will end on July 29.

According to the organisers, only Kenyan President Uhuru Kenyatta will be hosting the event live with Prime Minister Boris Johnson, other leaders were advised to join online as part of worldwide measures against the spread of the Covid-19 pandemic.

It was unclear why Mr Buhari decided to travel two days ahead of a meeting that was billed as virtual to begin with, despite widespread insecurity and poverty ravaging the country.

The Nigerian leader has made several trips to England seeking to cure ailments that his minders have declined to publicly disclose. He has faced criticism for being a wasteful and insensitive leader, with many saying most Nigerians cannot afford basic medical care and his government has failed to improve access to health care at home.