President Bola Tinubu arrived in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, on Thursday night to participate in the 38th Ordinary Session of the Assembly of the African Union (AU) Heads of State and Government.
The president was welcomed at the airport by Ethiopian Deputy Chief of Protocol, Eshetu Legesse; Nigeria’s Minister of Foreign Affairs, Amb. Yusuf Tuggar; and Amb. Nasir Aminu, Charge d’Affaires of the Nigerian Embassy in Ethiopia.
Following his arrival, President Tinubu received a late-night briefing from Minister Tuggar, which stretched until about 2 a.m. on Friday. According to a statement from the President’s Special Adviser on Information and Strategy, Bayo Onanuga, the briefing highlighted significant diplomatic achievements for Nigeria.
A notable win for the country was the re-election of Amb. Bankole Adeoye as AU Commissioner for Political Affairs, Peace and Security. Additionally, Nigeria retained its seat on the AU Peace and Security Council, underscoring the nation’s leadership and commitment to peace and stability across the continent.
The briefing was attended by several key officials, including Minister of Finance Wale Edun; Minister of Defence Abubakar Badaru; Minister of Trade and Investment Jumoke Oduwole; Minister of Aviation Festus Keyamo; and Minister of Information and National Orientation Muhammed Idris. Also present were Minister of Environment Balarabe Abbas Lawal; Minister of State for Finance Doris Uzoka-Anite; Director-General of the National Intelligence Agency Amb. Mohammed Mohammed; and Chief of Naval Staff Vice Admiral Emmanuel Ogalla.
This year’s AU summit, themed “Justice for Africans and People of African Descent Through Reparations,” focuses on reparatory justice and racial healing. The theme was adopted during the 37th Ordinary Session of the AU Assembly in February 2023.
President Tinubu is expected to deliver a speech at the AU Peace and Security Council summit-level meeting, addressing pressing security challenges on the continent, particularly the escalating conflict in the Democratic Republic of Congo. He will also participate in high-level discussions on health financing, the establishment of an Africa Credit Rating Agency, and climate change mitigation.
President Tinubu is scheduled to return to Abuja on Monday.
Comments