Vice President Kashim Shettima’s trip to Samoa for the 2024 Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting (CHOGM) was canceled after an unexpected incident at JFK Airport in New York. A foreign object struck his plane during a stopover, damaging the cockpit windscreen, according to a statement by Bayo Onanuga, Special Adviser to the President on Information and Strategy.
President Bola Tinubu swiftly authorized a ministerial delegation, led by Minister of Environment Balarabe Abass Lawal, to represent Nigeria at the summit, which began on October 21 and will conclude on October 26. Repairs on the damaged plane are already underway, ensuring future travel safety.
The vice president, accompanied by Foreign Minister Yusuf Tuggar, has since departed New York and is en route back to Nigeria. Despite Shettima’s absence, the Nigerian delegation is expected to participate actively in discussions addressing critical issues across the Commonwealth.
