Vice President Kashim Shettima has cancelled his planned trip to Samoa to represent Nigeria at the 2024 Commonwealth Heads of Government Summit. This decision follows an incident where a foreign object struck his plane during a stopover at JFK Airport in New York City, damaging the cockpit windscreen.

Presidential spokesman Bayo Onanuga confirmed the incident in a statement, revealing that repairs to the aircraft are currently underway. In response to the situation, President Bola Tinubu has swiftly approved a ministerial delegation to represent Nigeria at the summit in Apia, the capital of Samoa.

The newly appointed delegation will be led by the Minister of Environment, Balarabe Abbas Lawal. The summit commenced on October 21, 2024, and is scheduled to conclude on October 26.  Both Vice President Shettima and Foreign Affairs Minister Ambassador Yusuf Tuggar have since returned to Nigeria following the cancellation of the trip.