President Bola Tinubu has arrived in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, for the 38th session of the African Union (AU) Assembly of Heads of State and Government.
The president’s visit follows a brief private trip to France on February 5, as confirmed by his Special Adviser on Information and Strategy, Bayo Onanuga.
Onanuga had earlier revealed that after his time in France, President Tinubu would travel to Ethiopia for the summit, which focuses on reparatory justice and racial healing under the theme “Justice for Africans and People of African Descent Through Reparations.”
Upon his arrival in Addis Ababa on Thursday night, President Tinubu was received at the airport by Eshetu Legesse, Ethiopia’s Deputy Chief of Protocol; Yusuf Tuggar, Nigeria’s Minister of Foreign Affairs; and Nasir Aminu, Charge d’Affaires at the Nigerian Embassy in Ethiopia.
A briefing session on the summit’s key issues was held until early Friday, during which time Tuggar updated the president on some of Nigeria’s recent diplomatic achievements.
Among the key successes highlighted was the re-election of Ambassador Bankole Adeoye as the African Union Commissioner for Political Affairs, Peace, and Security.
Additionally, Nigeria retained its seat on the AU Peace and Security Council, reaffirming the nation’s leadership in peacekeeping efforts across the continent.
Other notable figures who attended the briefing included several Nigerian ministers, such as Wale Edun (Finance), Abubakar Badaru (Defence), Jumoke Oduwole (Trade and Investment), Festus Keyamo (Aviation), Muhammed Idris (Information and National Orientation), Balarabe Abbas Lawal (Environment), and Doris Uzoka-Anite (State for Finance), alongside top security officials like Ambassador Mohammed Mohammed, Director-General of the National Intelligence Agency, and Vice Admiral Emmanuel Ogalla, Chief of Naval Staff.
At the summit, President Tinubu is scheduled to deliver a speech at the Peace and Security Council meeting, where discussions will focus on the ongoing security challenges across the continent, including the escalating conflict in the Democratic Republic of Congo.
He will also participate in discussions on health financing, the creation of an African credit rating agency, and climate change.
