President Bola Tinubu has arrived in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, to attend the 38th Ordinary Session of the Assembly of the African Union (AU) Heads of State and Government.
The President landed on Thursday night and was received at the airport by Ethiopian Deputy Chief of Protocol, Eshetu Legesse, Nigeria’s Minister of Foreign Affairs, Ambassador Yusuf Tuggar, and the Chargé d’Affaires of the Nigerian Embassy in Ethiopia, Ambassador Nasir Aminu.
Following his arrival, Ambassador Tuggar briefed President Tinubu on the summit agenda and Nigeria’s recent diplomatic achievements in the AU, in a session that lasted until 2 a.m. on Friday.
Among the key diplomatic wins was the re-election of Ambassador Bankole Adeoye as the AU Commissioner for Political Affairs, Peace, and Security. Additionally, Nigeria retained its seat on the AU Peace and Security Council, reinforcing what Ambassador Tuggar described as “Nigeria’s leadership and commitment to peace and security on the continent.”
Several members of Tinubu’s delegation attended the briefing, including Minister of Finance Wale Edun, Minister of Defence Abubakar Badaru, Minister of Trade and Investment Jumoke Oduwole, Minister of Aviation Festus Keyamo, Minister of Information and National Orientation Muhammed Idris, Minister of Environment Balarabe Abbas Lawal, and Minister of State for Finance Doris Uzoka-Anite.
The theme of this year’s AU Summit is “Justice for Africans and People of African Descent Through Reparations”, with discussions centered on reparatory justice and racial healing.
President Tinubu is expected to deliver a speech at the summit-level meeting of the AU Peace and Security Council, where deliberations will focus on pressing security challenges in Africa, including the ongoing conflict in the Democratic Republic of Congo.
The President is scheduled to return to Abuja on Monday, February 17.
