Tinubu departs Abuja for Arab-Islamic summit in Saudi Arabia Sunday

President Bola Tinubu will on Sunday, November 10, 2024, depart Abuja for Riyadh in Saudi Arabia to attend the Joint Arab-Islamic Summit in the country.

The summit is scheduled to commence on Monday, November 11.

The Special Adviser to the President on Information and Strategy, Bayo Onanuga, who disclosed this in a statement on Saturday, November 9, said the summit is being held at the invitation of King Salman and Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman and follows last year’s summit in Riyadh.

Onanuga noted that the summit will focus on the current situation in the Middle East, adding that Tinubu will be accompanied by the Minister of Foreign Affairs, Yusuf Tuggar; the National Security Adviser, Nuhu Ribadu; the Minister of Information and National Orientation, Mohammed Idris; and the Director General of the National Intelligence Agency, Mohammed Mohammed.

He stated that the president, at the summit in Saudi Arabia, will address the ongoing Israel-Palestinian conflict, “emphasising Nigeria’s strong call for an immediate ceasefire and the urgent need for a peaceful resolution.”

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“Nigeria will also advocate for renewed efforts to revive the two-state solution as a pathway to lasting peace in the region,” the presidential spokesman said.

Onanuga added that Tinubu will return to Abuja after the conclusion of the summit.

Sunday’s trip is Tinubu’s third to Saudi Arabia and his 30th foreign trip since assuming office on May 29, 2023.

The president has so far logged 124 days abroad, visiting no fewer than 16 countries.

President Tinubu has visited Malabo, Equatorial Guinea; London, the United Kingdom (four times); Bissau, Guinea-Bissau (twice); Nairobi, Kenya; Porto Norvo, Benin Republic; The Hague, Netherlands; Pretoria, South Africa; Accra, Ghana; New Delhi, India; Abu Dhabi and Dubai in the United Arab Emirates; New York, the United States; Riyadh, Saudi Arabia (twice); Berlin, Germany; Addis Ababa, Ethiopia; Dakar, Senegal; and Doha in Qatar.

The Star