Adedokun Waliyu 
Vice-President Kashim Shettima has met with Antonio Guterres, secretary-general of the United Nations, ahead of the 39th African Union (AU) summit in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia.
Stanley Nkwocha, senior special assistant to the president on media and communications (office of the vice-president), said the meeting was held on Friday on the sidelines of the summit scheduled for February 14 and 15.
Nkwocha said both leaders discussed recent developments in Nigeria and the country’s role in strengthening multilateral cooperation.
He said they also deliberated on regional security and governance challenges in West Africa and the Sahel, noting Nigeria’s continued engagement in promoting stability across the subregion.
“Both leaders pledged deeper partnerships, as the UN chief commended Nigeria’s economic reforms and its growing leadership role on the continent, particularly its efforts to promote peace and stability in the Sahel region,” Nkwocha said in an X post.
Earlier, Shettima arrived in Addis Ababa to represent President Bola Tinubu at the AU summit and the 30th ordinary session of the executive council.
He was received at the Bole International Airport by Belete Mola, Ethiopia’s minister of innovation and technology, alongside Berhanu Tsegaye, Ethiopian state minister of foreign affairs; Yusuf Tuggar, Nigeria’s minister of foreign affairs; Dunoma Ahmed, permanent secretary in the ministry of foreign affairs; Nasiru Aminu, chargé d’affaires at the Nigerian embassy in Ethiopia; and Geoffrey Chima, ambassador-designate, among other officials.
On arrival, Tuggar briefed the vice-president on his itinerary at the summit.
This year’s AU summit, themed ‘Assuring Sustainable Water Availability and Safe Sanitation Systems to Achieve the Goals of Agenda 2063’, will focus on advancing continental commitments toward sustainable water management, improved sanitation systems, and broader development goals under the AU’s Agenda 2063 framework.
The summit is expected to deliberate on key continental priorities, including peace and security, economic integration, and development financing.
