Vice President Kashim Shettima will no longer represent Nigeria at the 2024 Commonwealth Heads of Government Summit in Samoa. The trip was canceled after a foreign object struck his plane during a stopover at JFK Airport in New York, damaging the cockpit windscreen, according to a statement from the Presidency on Thursday night.
As a result, a delegation led by Minister of Environment Balarabe Lawal will now represent Nigeria at the biennial summit. The statement, issued by Mr. Bayo Onanuga, Special Adviser on Media and Publicity, explained that President Bola Tinubu promptly approved the delegation while repairs on the aircraft are underway.
Shettima had departed Abuja last Sunday for the event at the request of President Tinubu. The summit, held in Apia, Samoa, from October 21 to 26, brings together leaders from 56 member countries, including King Charles of England. This year’s theme focuses on harnessing strengths through resilience and fostering a connected Commonwealth.
At the summit, member countries will also elect the next Commonwealth Secretary-General and discuss the theme, “One Resilient Common Future: Transforming our Common Wealth.”
Onanuga confirmed that Vice President Shettima and Foreign Minister Yusuf Tuggar have now left New York for Nigeria. This marks the second trip Shettima has had to cancel mid-journey; in May, he returned midflight from a scheduled appearance at the US-Africa Business Summit due to a technical fault with his aircraft.
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