Vice President Kashim Shettima arrives in Freetown to represent President Bola Tinubu at the 69th ECOWAS Mid-Year Summit, joining West African leaders to advance economic integration and regional security.
Vice President Kashim Shettima departed Abuja on Sunday to attend the 69th Ordinary Session of the Authority of the Heads of State and Government of the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) in Freetown, Sierra Leone.
Representing President Bola Ahmed Tinubu at the high-stakes statutory mid-year event, the Vice President arrived at the Freetown International Airport, Lungi, where he was formally received by Sierra Leone’s Vice President, Dr. Mohamed Juldeh Jalloh, alongside Nigeria’s Minister of Foreign Affairs, Ambassador Bianca Odumegwu-Ojukwu.
The critical regional assignment brings together heads of state, prime ministers, senior diplomats, and business leaders from across the sub-region to co-author policies addressing the economic, political, and institutional challenges currently shaping West African governance.
The high-level summit is taking place at the newly inaugurated, state-of-the-art Julius Maada Bio International Conference Centre in Freetown.
Deliberations are strategically designed to focus on far-reaching policy decisions and resolutions aimed at boosting sustainable economic growth, deepening democratic governance, and accelerating regional integration.
As West African leaders navigate complex security challenges and shifting political landscapes, this ordinary session provides a unified platform to review critical sub-regional priorities, including trans-border trade, infrastructural connection, and joint security operations.
Prior to the main summit of the Heads of State, preparatory statutory sessions – including meetings of the ECOWAS Council of Ministers and the Mediation and Security Council – met to draft institutional recommendations for the leaders’ review.
Accompanying the Vice President to support Nigeria’s diplomatic engagement are key cabinet members, including the Minister of State for Foreign Affairs, Ambassador Sola Enikanolaiye, and the Minister of State for Petroleum Resources (Gas), Rt. Hon. Ekperikpe Ekpo.
According to the State House, Vice President Shettima will actively participate in the collective re-affirmation of member states to regional development before returning to the capital city of Abuja at the conclusion of his high-level engagements.
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