PRESIDENT Bola Tinubu will depart Nigeria for Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, later today Sunday, November 17, to attend the 19th G20 Leaders’ Summit.
The event, scheduled for November 18 and 19, will convene heads of state from the world’s 20 largest economies, alongside representatives from the African Union, European Union, and multilateral financial institutions.
According to a statement by the special adviser to the President on information and strategy, Bayo Onanuga, on Sunday, November 17, the Nigerian President’s attendance is at the invitation of Brazil’s President and current G20 Chair, Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva.
Accompanying the President are government officials, including foreign affairs minister, Yusuf Tuggar, minister of livestock development, Idi Mukhtar Maiha, minister of art, tourism, culture and creativity, Hannatu Musawa, minister of state for agriculture and food security, Aliyu Sabi Abdullahi, and the director-general of the National Intelligence Agency, Mohammed Mohammed.
Onanuga noted that the summit, themed *“Building a Just World and a Sustainable Planet,” will focus on pressing global challenges, including poverty alleviation, hunger eradication, institutional reform, sustainable development, and energy transition.
“Nigeria has always strongly advocated for a reform of the global governing institutions and often presented its impressive credentials as a strong contender for a permanent seat on the United Nations Security Council.
“President Tinubu is also expected to hold bilateral meetings on the sidelines of the summit in advancement of Nigeria’s socio-economic reforms,” the statement added.
The President’s latest trip is coming just a few days after he returned from the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia where he attended a Joint Arab-Islamic Summit.
The President, who returned on Tuesday 12, condemned the ongoing violence in the region and urged immediate action to alleviate the humanitarian crisis associated with the violence at the summit.
He also stressed that peaceful coexistence between Israelis and Palestinians was the only viable path forward.
Tinubu emphasised the need to prioritise civilian lives, urging all parties involved to respect the principles of proportionality and the protection of non-combatants in accordance with international humanitarian law.
Usman Mustapha is a solution journalist with International Centre for Investigative Reporting. You can easily reach him via: umustapha@icirnigeria.com. He tweets @UsmanMustapha_M