President Bola Tinubu arrived in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, on Thursday night to participate in the 38th Ordinary Session of the Assembly of the African Union (AU) Heads of State and Government.

The president was received at the airport by the Ethiopian Deputy Chief of Protocol, Eshetu Legesse; the Minister of Foreign Affairs, Yusuf Tuggar, and the charge d’affaires of the Nigerian embassy in Ethiopia, Nasir Aminu.

Mr Tuggar later briefed President Tinubu about the summit and some diplomatic wins for the country, a session that stretched until about 2 a.m. on Friday.

Among the wins was the re-election of Bankole Adeoye as African Union Commissioner for Political Affairs, Peace and Security. Nigeria also retains its seat on the African Union Peace and Security Council, reaffirming, in the words of Mr Tuggar, “Nigeria’s leadership and commitment to peace and security on the continent.”

At the briefing were Wale Edun, the Minister of Finance; Abubakar Badaru, Minister of Defence; Jumoke Oduwole, the Minister of Trade and Investment; Festus Keyamo, Minister of Aviation; Muhammed Idris, Minister of Information and National Orientation; Balarabe Abbas Lawal Minister of Environment and Doris Uzoka-Anite, Minister of State for Finance.

Mohammed Mohammed, Director-General of the National Intelligence Agency, and Vice Admiral Emmanuel Ogalla, the Chief of Naval Staff, also attended the briefing.

This year’s AU summit, under the theme “Justice for Africans and People of African Descent Through Reparations,” focuses on reparatory justice and racial healing.

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President Tinubu will deliver a speech at the Summit-level meeting of the African Union Peace and Security Council, where discussions will focus on current security challenges on the continent, including the escalation of conflict in the Democratic Republic of Congo.

The president will participate in meetings on health financing, establishing an Africa Credit Rating Agency, and climate change.

President Tinubu will return to Abuja on Monday, February 17.

Bayo Onanuga

Special Adviser to the President

(Information & Strategy)