Nigeria’s Vice President, Kashim Shettima, has arrived in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, to represent President Bola Tinubu at the 39th Ordinary Session of the Assembly of African Union (AU) Heads of State and Government, as well as the 30th General Assembly, scheduled to hold on February 14 and 15, 2026.
The Vice President was received at the Bole International Airport by the Ethiopian Minister of Innovation and Technology, Dr. Belete Mola, alongside the Ethiopian State Minister of Foreign Affairs, Berhanu Tsegaye.
Nigeria’s Minister of Foreign Affairs, Yusuf Tuggar; the Permanent Secretary in the Ministry, Dunoma Ahmed; Chargé d’Affaires, Embassy of Nigeria, Ethiopia, Nasiru Aminu and other government officials were also on hand to receive the Vice President.
Shortly after arrival, the Nigerian Minister of Foreign Affairs, Tuggar, briefed the Vice President on his itinerary at the Summit.
This year’s AU summit, with the theme, “Assuring Sustainable Water Availability and Safe Sanitation Systems to Achieve the Goals of Agenda 2063,” will focus on advancing continental commitments toward sustainable water management, improved sanitation systems, and the broader development aspirations encapsulated in the AU’s Agenda 2063 framework.
Besides the Heads of State meetings, VP Shettima will participate in high-level side events, and bilateral engagements with political and business leaders aimed at strengthening Nigeria’s diplomatic, economic, and strategic partnerships across the continent.
Speaking with journalists after briefing the Vice President, Mr Yusuf Tuggar said the launch of the Regional Partnership for Democracy (RPD) is a strategic move to consolidate and strengthen the democratic culture in Africa.
On the gains of the summit, the Minister noted that the country was already taking in the benefits of her participation, with the confirmation of Nigeria as the host of the African Monetary Institute and the African Central Bank as well as its nomination to the board of the bank.