Juliana Taiwo-Obalonye, Abuja
President Muhammadu Buhari will depart Abuja today for Egypt to attend the Aswan Forum designed to set an agenda for sustainable peace and development in Africa.
Special Adviser to the President on Media and Publicity, Femi Adesina, said Buhari will be accompanied by Governors Ahmadu Fintiri of Adamawa, Godwin Obaseki of Edo and Mai Mala Buni of Yobe to the two-day forum scheduled for December 11-12.
Adesina said the forum is an initiative to address the interconnections between peace and development in Africa while promoting Africa-led solutions through strengthening policies and practices.
He explained that the initiative is being launched by the Egyptian President, Abdel Fattah el-Sisi, in his capacity as the chairman of the African Union (AU) and as an advocate of post-conflict reconstruction and development in Africa – a recurring theme of his tenure as the AU chairman. It is also grounded in the AU’s Agenda 2063: The Africa We Want, and the search for African solutions to African problems.
“The gathering is expected to bring together heads of state and government, leaders from regional and international organisations, financial institutions, private sector and civil societies as well as scholars, visionaries and prominent experts for action-oriented discussions on the threats, challenges and opportunities.
“It is also expected to end with a Declaration on the theme of the Forum and become an annual event.
“Recall that the Speaker of Egypt’s House of Representatives, Ali Abdel Aal had delivered President el-Sisi’s message to President Buhari in Abuja on October 28, 2019 inviting him to the inaugural Aswan Forum,” Adesina said.
Others in the delegation are Minister of Defence, Gen. Bashir Magashi (retd); Minister of State, Foreign Affairs, Amb. Zubairu Dada; National Security Adviser, Maj-Gen Babagana Monguno (retd) and the Director-General, National Intelligence Agency, Amb. Ahmed Rufai Abubakar.
Buhari is expected back in Abuja on Friday.
