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, scheduled from February 14 to 18, 2025.
His arrival was confirmed by his Special Adviser on Information and Strategy, Bayo Onanuga, in a statement issued early Friday. Tinubu was received at the airport by Ethiopian Deputy Chief of Protocol Eshetu Legesse, Nigeria’s Foreign Affairs Minister Yusuf Tuggar, and Nasir Aminu, the chargé d’affaires of the Nigerian embassy in Ethiopia.
Following his arrival, Tinubu held a late-night briefing with Tuggar, who highlighted diplomatic achievements for Nigeria at the summit. Among them was the re-election of Bankole Adeoye as AU Commissioner for Political Affairs, Peace, and Security, as well as Nigeria’s successful retention of its seat on the AU Peace and Security Council. Tuggar described these as reaffirmations of “Nigeria’s leadership and commitment to peace and security on the continent.”
Several high-ranking Nigerian officials attended the briefing, including Ministers Wale Edun (Finance), Abubakar Badaru (Defence), Jumoke Oduwole (Trade and Investment), Festus Keyamo (Aviation), Muhammed Idris (Information and National Orientation), Balarabe Lawal (Environment), and Doris Uzoka-Anite (State for Finance). 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 focus on reparatory justice and racial healing. President Tinubu is expected to address the AU Peace and Security Council on Africa’s security challenges, including the ongoing conflict in the Democratic Republic of Congo. He will also participate in discussions on health financing, the establishment of an Africa Credit Rating Agency, and climate change initiatives.
Tinubu is expected to return to Abuja on Monday, February 17.
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