PHOTOS: Shettima meets Anthonio Guterres in Ethiopia ahead of AU summit

Vice-President Kashim Shettima has met with AntonioGuterres, secretary-general of the United Nations, ahead of the 39th AfricanUnion (AU) summit in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia. Stanley Nkwocha, senior special assistant to the presidenton media and communications (office of the vice-president), said the meetingwas held on Friday on the sidelines of the summit scheduled for February 14 and15. Nkwocha said both leaders discussed recent developments inNigeria and the country’s role in strengthening multilateral cooperation. He said they also deliberated on regional security andgovernance challenges in West Africa and the Sahel, noting Nigeria’s continuedengagement in promoting stability across the subregion. “Both leaders pledged deeper partnerships, as the UN chiefcommended Nigeria’s economic reforms and its growing leadership role on thecontinent, particularly its efforts to promote peace and stability in the Sahelregion,” Nkwocha said in an X post. Earlier, Shettima arrived in Addis Ababa to representPresident Bola Tinubu at the AU summit and the 30th ordinary session of theexecutive council. He was received at the Bole International Airport by BeleteMola, Ethiopia’s minister of innovation and technology, alongside BerhanuTsegaye, Ethiopian state minister of foreign affairs; Yusuf Tuggar, Nigeria’sminister of foreign affairs; Dunoma Ahmed, permanent secretary in the ministryof foreign affairs; Nasiru Aminu, chargé d’affaires at the Nigerian embassy inEthiopia; and Geoffrey Chima, ambassador-designate, among other officials. On arrival, Tuggar briefed the vice-president on hisitinerary at the summit. This year’s AU summit, themed ‘Assuring Sustainable WaterAvailability and Safe Sanitation Systems to Achieve the Goals of Agenda 2063’,will focus on advancing continental commitments toward sustainable watermanagement, improved sanitation systems, and broader development goals underthe AU’s Agenda 2063 framework. The summit is expected to deliberate on key continentalpriorities, including peace and security, economic integration, and developmentfinancing. See photos below.L-R: Yusuf Tuggar, minister of foreign affairs;Vice-President Kashim Shettima; Antonio Guterres, secretary-general of theUnited Nations; and Amina Mohammed, deputy secretary-general of the UnitedNations

Read More