Buhari Departs Abuja For UN Conference In Abidjan

President Muhammadu Buhari is set to depart Abuja for a United Nations organised conference in Abidjan, Cote d’Ivoire.

In a statement on Sunday by the presidential spokesman, Garba Shehu, the conference will take place from May 9th-10th, 2022 at the Sofitel Hotel in Abidjan.

He added that the theme of the 15th session of the Conference Of the Parties (COP15) of the United Nations Convention to Combat Desertification (UNCCD) is ‘Land. Life. Legacy: From scarcity to prosperity.”

Shehu said the president would join other African leaders to discuss the problem of desertification, drought, degradation, rights, restoration and implications for national and world economies.

The statement reads, “The convention aims to take action to ensure that land, the lifeline on the planet, continues to benefit present and future generations.

“To achieve the visionary objective of land restoration and balance, COP15 will bring together leaders from governments, the private sector, civil society and other key stakeholders from around the world to drive progress in the future of sustainable management of one of the most precious assets, land.

“The convention will explore links between land and other key development issues, which will be discussed during the high-level segment, including a Heads of States Summit, high-level roundtables and interactive dialogue sessions.

“COP 15 is a key moment in the fight against desertification, land degradation and drought. Accordingly, it will build on the findings of the second edition of the Global Land Outlook and offer a concrete response to the interconnected challenges of land degradation, climate change and biodiversity loss as the world steps into the UN Decade on Ecosystem Restoration.

“Drought, land restoration, and related enablers such as land rights, gender equality and youth empowerment are among the top items on the Conference agenda.”

Shehu stated that the Nigerian leader, who is also the President of the Great Green Wall in Africa, will be accompanied on the trip by four ministers and some heads of agencies.

He named the President’s team to Abidjan to include the Minister of Foreign Affairs, Geoffrey Onyeama; Minister of Environment, Mohammed H. Abdullahi; Minister of Agriculture, Mahmoud Mohammed and Minister of Water Resources, Suleiman H. Adamu.

Others are the National Security Adviser, retired Maj. Gen. Mohammed Monguno; Director-General, National Intelligence Agency, Ambassador Ahmed Rufai Abubakar and Chairman/CEO, Nigerians in Diaspora Commission, Abike Dabiri- Erewa.