President Buhari To Depart For Commonwealth Meeting In Rwanda

President Muhammadu Buhari will depart Abuja on Wednesday for Kigali, Rwanda where he is scheduled to attend the 26th Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting (CHOGM) taking place from June 20 to June 26, 2022.

The development was made known by the Special Adviser to the president, Femi Adesina who said that Buhari will join other leaders to participate in discussions revolving around the progress and prosperity of over two billion people living in the 54 independent countries in Africa, Asia, the Americas, Europe and the Pacific that make up the Commonwealth.

The theme for this year's CHOGM is 'Delivering a Common Future: Connecting, Innovating, Transforming' and the various heads of government will reaffirm their commitment to upholding the Commonwealth Charter, which focuses on democracy, human rights, the rule of law, as well as economic opportunities and sustainable development.

President Buhari will be present at the opening ceremony on June 24 and will also attend high-level meetings of Heads of State and Government on Friday 24 and Saturday 25 June.

The leaders of the different nations will discuss topics including post-COVID-19 economic recovery, debt sustainability, climate change, poverty reduction, youth entrepreneurship and employment, trade and food security.

Buhari will deliver remarks at the High-Level Session of Malaria and Neglected Tropical Diseases Summit and participate in an Intergenerational Dialogue for Youth.

The Nigerian leader will be accompanied by the Minister of Foreign Affairs, Geoffrey Onyeama; the Minister of Finance, Budget and National Planning, Zainab Ahmed; the Minister of Health, Osagie Ehanire; the Minister of Environment, Mohammed Abdullahi and the Minister of Communications and Digital Economy, Isa Ali Pantami.

Other individuals in Buhari's entourage include the National Security Adviser, Maj-Gen Babagana Monguno (Rtd) Director-General, National Intelligence Agency (NIA), Ahmed Rufa’i Abubakar and the Chairman/CEO Nigerians in Diaspora Commission (NidCOM), Abike Dabiri-Erewa.

Adesina disclosed that President Buhari will be back in the country on Sunday, June 26.