President Bola Tinubu is slated to depart Abuja on Thursday for Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, to partake in the 37th Ordinary Session of the Assembly of the African Union (AU) Heads of State and Government.
According to a statement from his special adviser on media and public affairs, Ajuri Ngelale, President Tinubu will engage with other African leaders during the summit, contributing to discussions on the institutional reforms of the AU.
The statement also highlighted that the President will preside over an Extraordinary Summit of the Authority of Heads of State and Government of ECOWAS, coinciding with the AU Summit.
The statement reads, “President Bola Tinubu will, on Thursday, February 15, depart Abuja for Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, to participate in the 37th Ordinary Session of the Assembly of Heads of State and Government of the African Union (AU).
The theme of this year’s summit is ‘Educate an African fit for the 21st Century: Building resilient education systems for increased access to inclusive, lifelong, quality, and relevant learning in Africa.’
“The President will join other African leaders in high-level meetings on institutional reforms of the African Union; peace and security; specific thematic issues such as climate change, as well as modalities of participation and priorities of the continental body in the G20.
“On the margins of the summit, President Tinubu will also attend an extraordinary summit of the Authority of Heads of State and Government of ECOWAS in his capacity as the Chairman of the regional body.
“President Tinubu will be accompanied on the trip by some ministers and other top government officials, and he is expected to return to Abuja following the conclusion of the summit.”
The 37th African Union (AU) Summit is scheduled for 15-16 February 2024.
During the Summit, African Heads of States and Governments will deliberate and decide on several policies and programmes of the AU.
Discussions are anticipated to encompass the withdrawal of certain West African countries, including Niger, Burkina Faso, and Mali, from the West African bloc, ECOWAS, alongside other pressing continental matters.
Additionally, the summit aims to further consolidate discussions around the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA), facilitating an integrated market system for African countries to freely move goods and services across border
