Vice President Kashim Shettima has departed Abuja for Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, to represent President Bola Ahmed Tinubu at the 2026 African Union (AU) Summit.

The development was announced on Thursday in a statement by Stanley Nkwocha, Senior Special Assistant to the President on Media and Communications in the Office of the Vice President.

The summit, themed “Assuring Sustainable Water Availability and Safe Sanitation Systems to Achieve the Goals of Agenda 2063,” will focus on advancing Africa’s commitments to sustainable water management, improved sanitation, and broader development targets under the AU’s Agenda 2063 framework.

Shettima is scheduled to participate in the 39th Ordinary Session of the Assembly of AU Heads of State and Government and the 30th General Assembly, holding on February 14 and 15.

On the sidelines of the summit, the Vice President is expected to attend high-level side events and hold bilateral meetings with political and business leaders to strengthen Nigeria’s diplomatic, economic, and strategic partnerships across the continent.

According to the statement, Shettima is accompanied by cabinet ministers and senior government officials and will return to Nigeria after concluding his engagements in Addis Ababa.