JUST IN: President Buhari Departs Abuja For AU Summit In Ethiopia

President Muhammadu Buhari is set to depart Abuja on Friday for Ethiopia, to attend the 33rd Ordinary Session of Heads of State and Government of the AU, as well as a State Visit at the invitation of Ethiopian Prime Minister, Dr Abiy Ahmed .

According to a statement by the Senior Special Assistant on Media and Publicity, Garba Shehu, the President will also attend other events before and after the AU Summit, scheduled for February 9 and 10.

He said, “President Buhari will join leaders from the 55-member countries of the African Union to participate in the summit with the theme, Silencing the Guns: Creating Conducive Conditions for Africa’s Development.

“The President will attend the 29th Forum of Heads of State and Government of participating states of the African Peer Review Mechanism and the 27th Session of New Partnership for Africa’s Development Heads of State and Government Orientation Committee. The meetings will precede the 33rd Ordinary Session of the Assembly.

“In Nigeria’s capacity as a member of the AU Peace and Security Council, President Buhari will participate in the high level meeting of the Peace and Security Council on the situation in the Sahel and Libya, and High Level Ad-Hoc Committee on South Sudan.

“On the margins of the summit, the President will deliver a keynote address at a high level side event on “Stop the War on Children: Dividend of Silencing the Guns.”

“The event is co-sponsored by the governments of Nigeria, Uganda and Norway, and Save the Children International.

“The President will also hold bilateral meetings with several world leaders on the margins of the Summit”

He said after the summit, the President would sightsee in Ethiopia and also visit the Nigerian community in the country.