President Bola Tinubu has touched down in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, to attend the 38th Ordinary Session of the Assembly of the African Union (AU) Heads of State and Government.
The summit, scheduled to run from February 14 to 18, 2025, will focus on critical continental issues, including peace, security, and reparatory justice.
In a statement released early Friday by his Special Adviser on Information and Strategy, Bayo Onanuga, it was revealed that the President was warmly received at the airport by Ethiopian Deputy Chief of Protocol Eshetu Legesse, Nigeria’s Minister of Foreign Affairs Yusuf Tuggar, and the charge d’affaires of the Nigerian embassy in Ethiopia, Nasir Aminu.
The statement, titled ‘President Tinubu Arrives Ethiopia for AU Summit,’ also highlighted a late-night briefing session between President Tinubu and Minister Tuggar, which lasted until about 2 a.m. on Friday. During the meeting, Tuggar updated the President on Nigeria’s recent diplomatic achievements, including the re-election of Bankole Adeoye as the African Union Commissioner for Political Affairs, Peace, and Security.
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Tuggar also noted that Nigeria had retained its seat on the African Union Peace and Security Council, a development he described as a reaffirmation of “Nigeria’s leadership and commitment to peace and security on the continent.”
The briefing was attended by several high-ranking officials, including the Ministers of Finance, Wale Edun; Defence, Abubakar Badaru; Trade and Investment, Jumoke Oduwole; Aviation, Festus Keyamo; Information and National Orientation, Muhammed Idris; Environment, Balarabe Lawal; and State for Finance, Doris Uzoka-Anite. Also present were the Director-General of the National Intelligence Agency, Mohammed Mohammed, and the Chief of Naval Staff, Vice Admiral Emmanuel Ogalla.
This year’s AU summit, themed ‘Justice for Africans and People of African Descent Through Reparations,’ will address issues of reparatory justice and racial healing. President Tinubu is expected to deliver a keynote address at the Summit-level meeting of the African Union Peace and Security Council, where discussions will center on pressing security challenges across the continent, including the escalating conflict in the Democratic Republic of Congo.
Additionally, the President will participate in high-level meetings on health financing, the establishment of an Africa Credit Rating Agency, and climate change.
According to the statement, President Tinubu is scheduled to return to Abuja on Monday, February 17, 2025, following the conclusion of the summit.
The President’s participation underscores Nigeria’s active role in shaping Africa’s future and addressing its most pressing challenges.