President Bola Tinubu arrived in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, on Thursday night to attend the 38th Ordinary Session of the Assembly of the African Union (AU) Heads of State and Government.

Upon arrival, he was welcomed by Ethiopian Deputy Chief of Protocol, Eshetu Legesse; Nigeria’s Minister of Foreign Affairs, Ambassador Yusuf Tuggar; and the charge d’affaires of the Nigerian embassy in Ethiopia, Ambassador Nasir Aminu.

Ambassador Tuggar later briefed President Tinubu on the summit’s agenda and Nigeria’s diplomatic achievements, a session that lasted until about 2 a.m. on Friday. Among the key wins was the re-election of Ambassador Bankole Adeoye as AU Commissioner for Political Affairs, Peace and Security. Additionally, Nigeria retained its seat on the African Union Peace and Security Council, reaffirming what Tuggar described as “Nigeria’s leadership and commitment to peace and security on the continent.”

The briefing was attended by several top government officials, including Minister of Finance Wale Edun, Minister of Defence Abubakar Badaru, Minister of Trade and Investment Jumoke Oduwole, Minister of Aviation Festus Keyamo, Minister of Information and National Orientation Muhammed Idris, Minister of Environment Balarabe Abbas Lawal, and Minister of State for Finance Doris Uzoka-Anite. Also present were the Director-General of the National Intelligence Agency, Ambassador Mohammed Mohammed, and the Chief of Naval Staff, Vice Admiral Emmanuel Ogalla.

This year’s AU summit, themed “Justice for Africans and People of African Descent Through Reparations,” focuses on reparatory justice and racial healing. President Tinubu is set to deliver a speech at the Summit-level meeting of the AU Peace and Security Council, addressing the continent’s pressing security concerns, including the escalating conflict in the Democratic Republic of Congo.

He will also participate in high-level discussions on health financing, the establishment of an African Credit Rating Agency, and climate change.

According to a statement from Special Adviser on Information and Strategy, Bayo Onanuga, Tinubu is scheduled to return to Abuja on Monday, February 17.