Vice President Kashim Shettima has arrived in Freetown, Sierra Leone, to represent President Bola Tinubu at the 69th Ordinary Session of the Authority of Heads of State and Government of the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS).
Shettima was received on arrival at the Freetown International Airport in Lungi by Sierra Leone’s Vice President, Mohamed Juldeh Jalloh, alongside Nigeria’s Minister of Foreign Affairs, Ambassador Bianca Odumegwu-Ojukwu; Minister of State for Foreign Affairs, Ambassador Sola Enikanolaiye; and Nigeria’s High Commissioner to Sierra Leone, Ambassador Ayo Luther-Ogbomode.
Also on hand to welcome the Vice President were the Minister of State for Petroleum Resources (Gas), Rt. Hon. Ekperikpe Ekpo; Nigeria’s Permanent Representative to ECOWAS, Ambassador Olawale Emmanuel Awe; and officials of the Nigerian High Commission in Sierra Leone.
According to a statement issued on Sunday by the Senior Special Assistant to the President on Media and Communications (Office of the Vice President), Stanley Nkwocha, Shettima will join regional leaders, ministers, senior government officials, representatives of regional institutions and business leaders at the summit, which is being held at the Julius Maada Bio International Conference Centre in Freetown.
The summit is expected to consider key policy decisions and strategic resolutions aimed at strengthening regional peace and security, democratic governance, trade, economic integration, infrastructure development and sustainable growth across West Africa, the statement said.
The ECOWAS Authority of Heads of State and Government, the regional bloc’s highest decision-making body, meets periodically to deliberate on political, economic and security issues affecting member states and to adopt measures that promote regional cooperation and integration.
