Vice-President Kashim Shettima has embarked on an official State visit to Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, at the invitation of Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed Ali. The visit is strategically aimed at fortifying and expanding Nigeria’s partnership with Ethiopia, particularly in critical areas such as climate action, food security, and industrial development.

A central component of Vice-President Shettima’s agenda in Ethiopia is his participation in the official launch of the country’s ambitious Green Legacy Programme. This flagship environmental initiative is designed to aggressively combat deforestation, enhance biodiversity, and significantly mitigate the adverse impacts of climate change. The programme sets a formidable target of planting 20 billion tree seedlings over a four-year period, underscoring Ethiopia's commitment to environmental sustainability.

In a concerted effort to strengthen bilateral cooperation in agriculture and industrial development, Vice-President Shettima is also scheduled to undertake a comprehensive strategic tour of key industrial zones and integrated agricultural facilities across various regions of Ethiopia. These vital sites include the Adama Industrial Zone, Mojo Poultry Farm, Shera Dibandiba Mojo Family Integrated Farm, Lume Avocado Nursery Site, and the Bishoftu Pea Youth Farm. These visits are anticipated to provide valuable insights into Ethiopia’s integrated agricultural systems and agro-industrial clusters, aligning well with Nigeria’s own national objectives for agro-industrialization and food security under President Bola Tinubu’s Renewed Hope Agenda.

Further cementing the diplomatic and cooperative relations between Nigeria and Ethiopia, Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed will host Vice-President Shettima and his esteemed entourage to a State Dinner at the National Palace in Addis Ababa. This event will serve as a symbol of the enduring ties and mutual respect that characterize the relationship between the two nations.

Nigeria and Ethiopia share a robust and long-standing history of bilateral engagement, marked by significant collaboration in areas such as military support, regional peacekeeping efforts, and economic partnership. This current visit by Vice-President Shettima is poised to deepen these existing relations while concurrently exploring new avenues for collaboration in climate action, sustainable agriculture, and comprehensive industrial transformation.