Vice President Shettima’s Trip To Commonwealth Summit Cancelled Due To Aircraft Incident.
Vice President Kashim Shettima’s journey to Samoa for the 2024 Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting (CHOGM) has been cancelled after an incident involving his plane during a stopover at JFK Airport in New York. A foreign object struck the plane, damaging the cockpit windscreen and necessitating immediate repairs.
In response, President Bola Tinubu swiftly approved a ministerial delegation to represent Nigeria at the summit. The delegation, now led by the Minister of Environment, Balarabe Abass Lawal, will attend the ongoing summit in the Samoan capital, Apia, which commenced on 21 October and is set to conclude on 26 October.
Vice President Shettima, along with Foreign Minister Yusuf Tuggar, has since returned to Nigeria from New York as repairs on the aircraft have begun. Despite this setback, Nigeria’s participation at CHOGM continues through the appointed ministerial team.