The Minister of Foreign Affairs, Yusuf Tuggar, will now go to the 2024 US-Africa Business Summit in Dallas, Texas in place of Vice President Kashim Shettima, as Vice President Kashim Shettima's trip was cancelled due to a technical fault with his aircraft.
The Presidency reported in a statement signed by Shettima’s spokesperson that Vice President Kashim Shettima was not able to make the trip due to an aircraft technical fault and was given advice to change the original plan.
The statement released is called ‘Minister of Foreign Affairs To Now Represent President Tinubu at US-Africa Summit.’
Although the specific aircraft the VP used was not mentioned, it is likely the Gulfstream V aircraft, frequently used by the Vice President.
The VP before Shettima, Prof. Yemi Osinbajo, also used the same aircraft while in office from 2015 to 2023.
During the Buhari years, the Presidency maintained a fleet of 10 aircraft, including one Gulfstream 550, one Gulfstream V, two Falcons 7X, one Hawker Sidley 4000, two AgustaWestland AW 139 helicopters and two AgustaWestland AW 101 helicopters.
Although the nature of the fault was not disclosed, the Vice President has returned to Abuja and will continue with other national duties according to Nkwocha.
The Kay Bailey Hutchison Convention Center will host the high-level summit, bringing together political and business leaders from across Africa, the United States, and other regions.
Organized by the Corporate Council on Africa, the summit consists of high-level discussions, networking sessions, and plenaries.
African leaders expected at the summit are Presidents Joseph Boakai of Liberia; Lazarus Chakwera of Malawi; Joao Lourenço of Angola; Mokgweetsi E. K. Masisi of Republic of Botswana; José Maria Neves of Cabo Verde and the Deputy Prime Minister of the Kingdom of Lesotho, Nthomeng Majara.
The US-Africa Business Summit aims to promote economic cooperation and explore investment opportunities between the United States and African countries.
In addition to the main summit, the Foreign Minister is set to participate in the Roundtable on African Infrastructure Investment with a focus on impact and returns.
He is also scheduled to address a high-level panel on agribusiness, focusing on transitioning “from food insecurity to thriving agribusinesses”.
Furthermore, Tuggar will speak at a plenary session on Navigating Africa’s Energy Future and lead a session dedicated to promoting the ‘invest in Nigeria’ initiative.
He is also expected to attend other meetings and engagements at the summit, the statement said.
Tuggar is expected to return to the country after his engagements in the US.
