Nigeria’s Vice President, Kashim Shettima, has cancelled his planned trip to Dallas, Texas, where he was set to represent President Bola Tinubu at the US-Africa Summit. The cancellation was announced in a statement issued by Shettima’s Media Assistant, Stanley Nkwocha, attributing it to a technical fault developed by the Vice President’s plane.
According to the statement, Shettima’s aircraft experienced technical issues, prompting a detour on the advice of the Presidential Air Fleet. Consequently, Shettima was unable to proceed with the trip and will instead focus on other national duties.
In Shettima’s absence, Minister of Foreign Affairs, Ambassador Yusuf Maitama Tuggar, will now represent President Tinubu at the 2024 US-Africa Business Summit in Dallas. The summit, held at the Kay Bailey Hutchison Convention Center, aims to facilitate economic cooperation and explore investment opportunities between the United States and African countries.
The event is expected to attract political and business leaders from across Africa, the United States, and other regions, featuring high-level dialogues, networking sessions, and plenaries. Among the African heads of state anticipated to attend are President Joseph Boakai of Liberia, President Lazarus Chakwera of Malawi, President Joao Lourenço of Angola, President Mokgweetsi E.K. Masisi of Botswana, President José Maria Neves of Cabo Verde, and Deputy Prime Minister Nthomeng Majara of Lesotho.