Vice-President Kashim Shettima’s planned trip to Samoa for the 2024 Commonwealth Heads of Government Summit was called off after his plane encountered a setback during a stopover at JFK Airport, New York. A foreign object reportedly struck the aircraft, damaging its cockpit windscreen.
According to a statement from presidential spokesman Bayo Onanuga, “President Tinubu, acting promptly, has approved a ministerial delegation to represent Nigeria at the summit in Samoa, capital of Apia, while the plane’s repair has commenced.”
The delegation, led by Environment Minister Balarabe Abass Lawal, will now attend the summit, which began on October 21 and is set to conclude on October 26.
Mr. Shettima and Foreign Affairs Minister Yusuf Tuggar have since departed New York, heading back to Nigeria.
