Vice President Kashim Shettima has departed Abuja for Abidjan, Côte d’Ivoire, to represent President Bola Tinubu at the inauguration of Mr Alassane Ouattara for a fourth term in office as the nation’s leader.
VP Shettima is expected to join other leaders from across Africa and beyond to witness activities scheduled for the swearing-in ceremony on Monday, 8 December 2025, at the Presidential Palace in Abidjan.
Ouattara was re-elected for a fourth term in office on 25 October 2025 as President of Côte d’Ivoire, a West African country that shares cordial diplomatic ties with Nigeria.
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Both nations collaborate significantly within ECOWAS and the African Union on matters of security, trade and development, formalised through a Bi-National Commission and numerous agreements covering areas such as anti-trafficking, agriculture and the digital economy. Strong informal trade and a significant Nigerian diaspora in Côte d’Ivoire further foster deep bilateral economic and social connections.
The Vice President is accompanied by Omar Touray, President of the ECOWAS Commission; Senator Abubakar Sani Bello, Chairman of the Senate Committee on Foreign Affairs; and Usman Zannah, member representing Kaga/Gubio/Magumeri Federal Constituency in the House of Representatives.
VP Shettima is expected to return to Abuja at the conclusion of the inauguration ceremony.