Vice-President Kashim Shettima’s planned trip to the 2024 Commonwealth Heads of Government (CHOGM) summit in Samoa has been cancelled following damage to his aircraft.
In a statement issued late Thursday, Bayo Onanuga, the president’s special adviser on information and strategy, revealed that the aircraft sustained damage when a “foreign object” hit the cockpit’s windshield during a stopover at John F. Kennedy International Airport in New York.
President Bola Tinubu responded swiftly to the situation, approving a ministerial delegation to represent Nigeria at the summit in Shettima’s place. The delegation will be led by Balarabe Abass Lawal, Nigeria’s Minister of Environment.
“The delegation, which will now represent Nigeria at the 2024 Commonwealth Heads Of Government Meeting (CHOGM) in Samoa, is being led by the Minister of Environment, Balarabe Abass Lawal,” Onanuga said.
Shettima and Yusuf Tuggar, Nigeria’s Minister of Foreign Affairs, have since returned to Nigeria from New York.
The summit, which began on October 21 and runs through October 26, has the theme “Resilience, Unlocking Potential, Leveraging the Commonwealth Advantage, and Fostering a Connected, Digital Commonwealth”.
Shettima was expected to participate in the People’s Forum, engage with global leaders on development issues, and attend bilateral meetings and executive sessions.
