Vice-President Kashim Shettima has arrived in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, to represent President Bola Tinubu at the 39th Ordinary Session of the Assembly of Heads of State and Government of the African Union.

The high-level meeting is scheduled for February 14 and 15 in Addis Ababa.

The summit is themed “Assuring Sustainable Water Availability and Safe Sanitation Systems to Achieve the Goals of Agenda 2063.”

Discussions will centre on water security, sanitation infrastructure, and sustainable development across the continent.

Shettima was received at Bole International Airport by Ethiopia’s Minister of Innovation and Technology, Dr Belete Mola, and State Minister of Foreign Affairs, Ambassador Berhanu Tsegaye.

Also present were Nigeria’s Minister of Foreign Affairs, Ambassador Yusuf Tuggar, alongside senior officials of the Nigerian Embassy in Ethiopia.

Briefing journalists, Tuggar said Nigeria recorded notable diplomatic gains at the recently concluded 48th Session of the AU Executive Council.

“One of the major highlights was the decision to grant Nigeria a permanent seat on the Board of the African Central Bank,” Tuggar stated.

“This is a landmark development that reinforces Nigeria’s strategic importance in shaping Africa’s financial and monetary architecture.”

He added that Nigeria would also be represented on the Board of the Technical Convergence Committee of the African Monetary Institute, describing the move as recognition of the country’s economic strength and technical capacity.

On regional stability, Tuggar disclosed that candidates jointly presented by member states of the Economic Community of West African States were successfully elected to the Peace and Security Council.

“The outcome demonstrates unity among ECOWAS countries and our shared commitment to peace and stability on the continent,” he said.

The minister further noted that Nigeria hosted a ministerial high-level panel on regional partnerships for democracy, which attracted participation from ministers and delegates across Africa and beyond.

“Our engagements reflect Nigeria’s unwavering commitment to the ideals of the African Union—economic integration, institutional development, peace, security, and democratic governance,” Tuggar added.

On the sidelines of the summit, Shettima is expected to attend strategic side events and hold bilateral meetings with political and business leaders aimed at deepening Nigeria’s diplomatic and economic ties across Africa.