Vice President, Kashim Shettima, has arrived in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, to represent President Bola Tinubu at the 39th Ordinary Session of the Assembly of the African Union (AU) Heads of State and Government and the 30th Ordinary Session of the AU General Assembly, scheduled for 14 and 15 February 2026.
On arrival at Bole International Airport, the Vice President was received by Ethiopia’s Minister of Innovation and Technology, Dr Belete Mola, and the State Minister of Foreign Affairs, Berhanu Tsegaye.
Also present to welcome him were Nigeria’s Minister of Foreign Affairs, Yusuf Tuggar; the Permanent Secretary in the ministry, Dunoma Ahmed; the Chargé d’Affaires at the Nigerian Embassy in Ethiopia, Nasiru Aminu; and other government officials.
Shortly after his arrival, Tuggar briefed the Vice President on his engagements and schedule for the summit.
The 2026 AU Summit, themed “Assuring Sustainable Water Availability and Safe Sanitation Systems to Achieve the Goals of Agenda 2063,” will centre on strengthening continental efforts towards sustainable water resource management, improved sanitation, and the broader development objectives outlined in the AU’s Agenda 2063.
In addition to the main Heads of State sessions, Vice President Shettima is expected to attend high-level side events and hold bilateral meetings with political and business leaders to enhance Nigeria’s diplomatic, economic, and strategic relations across Africa.
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Speaking to journalists after briefing the Vice President, Yusuf Tuggar described the launch of the Regional Partnership for Democracy (RPD) as a strategic initiative aimed at consolidating and deepening democratic governance across the continent.
On the expected benefits of the summit, the Minister stated that Nigeria is already reaping gains from its participation, citing the confirmation of the country as host of the African Monetary Institute and the African Central Bank.
