President leaves Abuja for Malta tomorrow, and to Paris on Sunday

dimeji akinloye

November 25, 2015 8:50 PM

At this year's summit, the leaders are expected to deliberate on fresh Commonwealth initiatives on development and climate change.

President Muhammad Buhari attends the National Working Committee during the meeting of the All Progressives Congress (APC) party at the headquarters of the party in Abuja, Nigeria July 3, 2015 REUTERS/Afolabi Sotunde

President Muhammadu Buhari will tomorrow, Thursday, November 26, be leaving Abuja for Malta, where he is expected to take part in the in the 2015 Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting which begins on Friday.

According to a statement by the Special Adviser to the President on (Media & Publicity), Femi Adesina, today, the Head of the Commonwealth, Her Majesty, Queen Elizabeth II, will formally declare the summit open and host a banquet in honour of President Buhari and other participating Heads of State and Government.

At this year's summit, the leaders are expected to deliberate on fresh Commonwealth initiatives on development and climate change with a view to adding greater value to ongoing global efforts in these areas.

Adesina also noted that a new Secretary-General of the Commonwealth who will take over from the incumbent, Kamalesh Sharma, will be announced at the summit, which will also feature the presentation of a progress report on the eradication of polio.

The Commonwealth is made up of Britain, Nigeria and 51 other countries that work together to pursue common goals and promote development, democracy, peace, security and good governance.

It said the President will also participate in a summit of the Heads of State and Government of the Lake Chad Basin Commission and Benin Republic which has been scheduled to take place on December 2 in Paris on the sidelines of the United Nations Conference on Climate Change.

Deliberations at the Paris meeting of the Lake Chad Basin Commission and Benin Republic will focus mainly on the war against Boko Haram and other security issues of common interest to participating countries.

Accompanying Buhari on the trip are Minister of Foreign Affairs, Mr. Geoffrey Onyeama, the Minister of Environment, Mrs. Amina Mohammed and the National Security Adviser, Maj.-Gen. Babagana Monguno (rtd.)

dimeji akinloye