Vice President Kashim Shettima has returned to Abuja after representing President Bola Tinubu at the 39th Ordinary Session of the Assembly of African Union Heads of State and Government and the 30th AU General Assembly held in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia.
His return was confirmed in a statement issued by his Senior Special Assistant on Media and Communications, Stanley Nkwocha.
During the summit, the Vice President held a meeting with United Nations Secretary-General António Guterres, who encouraged Nigeria to take a leading role in advocating for a restructured global order. Guterres described Nigeria as strategically positioned to guide Africa toward achieving greater global influence.
At the high-level gathering, Shettima called for a continental shift toward health security sovereignty, urging African nations to reduce reliance on foreign aid and instead develop resilient, homegrown healthcare systems capable of responding to emergencies.
“It had become a matter of necessity to ensure the health of Africans is not subjected to the uncertainties of distant supply chains or the shifting priorities of global panic,” the Vice President said.
The summit, themed “Assuring Sustainable Water Availability and Safe Sanitation Systems to Achieve the Goals of Agenda 2063,” brought together African leaders to deliberate on sustainable water management, sanitation access, and long-term development goals under the African Union’s Agenda 2063 blueprint.
On the sidelines of the event, Shettima participated in strategic side meetings and held bilateral discussions with political and business leaders. These engagements were aimed at strengthening Nigeria’s diplomatic ties, boosting economic cooperation, and reinforcing strategic partnerships across Africa.
Extensive Diplomatic Engagements
Since assuming office, Shettima has undertaken numerous international trips on behalf of the President. He has spent a total of 73 days abroad, visiting 16 countries across 22 separate trips.
In the course of these journeys, the Vice President has covered more than 43,000 nautical miles, equivalent to about 79,000 kilometres, and logged over 93 flight hours.
His travels have included visits to Rome, Italy; St. Petersburg, Russia; Johannesburg, South Africa; Havana, Cuba; Beijing, China; Iowa and New York in the United States (three times); Davos, Switzerland (three times); Yamoussoukro, Ivory Coast (twice); Nairobi, Kenya; Stockholm, Sweden; Baku, Azerbaijan; Liberia; Addis Ababa, Ethiopia; and Conakry, Guinea.
What you should know
Vice President Kashim Shettima has returned to Nigeria after attending the 39th AU Summit in Addis Ababa on behalf of President Bola Tinubu.
At the summit, he advocated for Africa’s health security sovereignty and held talks with UN Secretary-General António Guterres, who urged Nigeria to lead Africa’s push for global reforms.
The Vice President has undertaken 22 international trips across 16 countries, spending 73 days abroad since taking office.
